Nebraska Becomes 29th State to Ban Transgender Men from Women’s Athletics

June 9, 2025

Nebraska has become the 29th state to enact a law requiring athletes to compete on sports teams that align with their biological sex rather than their stated gender identity.

Christianity Daily reports that Governor Jim Pillen signed Legislative Bill 89 (LB 89) into law last week after it passed the state legislature by a 33-16 vote.

Known as the Stand With Women Act, LB 89 mandates that all public and private schools, as well as post-secondary institutions involved with athletic associations, designate sports teams for either males or females based on biological sex.

The law, which does not reference “gender” or “gender identity,” states that, “sports teams designated for females shall not be open to male students and that sports teams designated for males shall not be open to female students.”

The legislation cites biological differences between males and females as the reason for the prohibition against men competing on women’s teams.

The text of the law states, “physical differences between males and females have long made separate and sex-specific sports teams important so that female athletes can have equal opportunities to compete in sports while reducing the risk of physical injury.”

The law also adds,  “Having separate athletic teams based on the sex of the athlete reduces the chance of injury to female athletes, promotes equality between the sexes, provides opportunities for female athletes to compete against their female peers rather than against male athletes, and allows female athletes to compete on a fair playing field for scholarships and other athletic accomplishments.”

28 other states, including Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming, have enacted similar bans in order to protect women’s sports.

Photo: top, Credit: Unsplash/Steven Lelham