Pennsylvania’s Democratic governor has vetoed a high-profile bill that would have banned biologically male transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports, calling it discriminatory against “marginalized youth.” “I have been clear throughout my tenure that hate has no place in Pennsylvania, especially discrimination against already marginalized youth who represent less than half of 1 percent of Pennsylvania’s population,” Gov. Tom Wolf said in a statement after his veto. of the “Fairness in Women’s Sports” Act. Wolff added that lawmakers who voted for the bill “should be ashamed of themselves” for supporting what he called an “incredibly harmful” policy. The legislation would require that sports teams sponsored by a public school “be expressly designated” based on biological sex, and that sports teams designated for “females, women or girls” cannot “be open to male students ». Republicans, who hold legislative majorities in both chambers, vowed to continue pushing the issue, while a few Democrats also broke with Wolf to support the legislation. One of the main sponsors of the legislation, state Rep. Stephanie Borowicz, R-Clinton — a former student athlete herself — criticized the governor and vowed to continue pushing: “Unfortunately, Governor Wolf unexpectedly vetoed the ‘Women’s Athletic Rights Act,’ which shows his disdain for female athletes and the tremendous strides we’ve made in collegiate sports over the last 50 years,” Borowicz told Fox News on Monday. PENNSYLVANIA REPUBLICANS FIX IMPOSSIBLE IMMIGRANT DUTIES TO FUND PROPERTY TAX BREAKDOWNS Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf speaks during a rally for Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden at Heinz Field.
“We will never stop fighting and in the end we will win this battle to keep competitive women’s sport fair and all-female.” State Sen. Doug Mastriano, the current Republican candidate for governor, sponsored the Senate version of the bill and pledged to take action if he wins in November. “As governor, I will sign this into law,” the retired Army colonel from Chambersburg told Fox News on Monday. Using a favorite phrase from former President John Adams, Mastriano observed when it comes to this matter: “Facts are stubborn.” “These biological facts are indisputable and gender disparities are very evident in athletic completion,” he said, adding in a recent statement that biological males have a “clear unfair advantage” over female competitors. COTTON, BANKS ENFORCE LAW THAT ALLOWS ADULTS TO SUE DOCTORS WHO PASSED THEM AS A MINOR UPenn transgender swimmer Lia Thomas talks to her coach after winning the 500-meter freestyle during an NCAA swim meet with Harvard. (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds) In a joint statement, Borowicz joined state sponsor Barb Gleim, R-Cumberland, and others in arguing that Wolf’s veto undermines federal Title IX civil rights protections against gender discrimination and ignores athletic progress of the women. Meanwhile, the lone state Senate Democrat to support the bill, Sen. Lisa Boscola, D-Northampton, said she understands the high emotions on both sides: “I sympathize with the person in transition, a person trying to come to understand who they are and see sport as an opportunity to be included,” he said in a statement. “I also feel for the female athlete who trains and competes and sees the field as unfair when faced with competing with a transgender athlete,” Boscola added. SWIMMERS WHO BROUGHT LEA THOMAS TO TUCKER CARLSON: ‘THIS IS NOT OKAY AND IT’S NOT FAIR’ Pennsylvania became the focus of discussion after the athletic success of University of Pennsylvania transgender swimmer Leah Thomas, who set a program record in May in the 500-yard freestyle. In January, the NCAA updated its transgender participation policy to adhere to the guidelines of each sport’s governing body. The NCAA announced its policy will go into effect in March. Some female athletes have also spoken out against Thomas competing in their men’s events, with University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines telling Fox News that she believes there are many female athletes who don’t believe transgender people should compete against them. : CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “I know I can’t speak for everyone, but I’m pretty sure I speak for the vast majority of female athletes,” she said in April. “This is not OK and it is not fair.” FINA, the governing body for international swimming, later approved new policies on transgender swimmers, which will only allow swimmers who have passed before the age of 12 to compete in women’s events. FINA members voted 71.5% in favor of the new policies. Several states, including Alabama, South Carolina and Florida, have passed similar laws, while in Utah the legislature overrode the governor’s veto to enact another. Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report. Charles Creitz is a reporter for Fox News Digital.