EDMONTON, Alberta (LifeSiteNews) –– Alberta’s governing United Conservative Party (UCP) government has passed a bill that bans gender-confused men from competing in women’s sports, the first legislation of its kind in Canada.
On Tuesday, MLAs voted 47 to 33 to pass into law the Fairness and Safety in Sport Act (FASISA). The New Democratic Party MLAs all voted against the bill, with Premier Danielle Smith’s UCP MLAs all voting in favour of it.
The proposed law, known as Bill 29, or the Fairness and Safety in Sport Act, will apply to all school boards, universities, as well as provincial sports organizations. It was introduced into the Alberta legislature last month.
Alberta’s Minister of Tourism and Sport Joseph Schow moved the third reading of FASISA, which now awaits Royal Assent which will be coming in the next few days.
Schow said about the passing of the bill that it will create fairness and safety in sports in Alberta for “young women and girls, and it is to them that I dedicate this speech and this bill because, Mr. Speaker, it is incumbent upon us as a government to create an environment that is fair and safe for all young girls and women who want to compete.”
“Sports teach you how to overcome challenges, how to strive for your personal best, how to respect your opponents, and that is something that even comes in handy in this house,” he added.
The Smith government says that the regulations created under the Act “will clarify specific requirements for these policies, including limiting eligibility for female-only divisions to female-born athletes,” but also added that it will “support the formation of additional co-ed divisions inclusive of transgender athletes.”
The government said that it consulted sports organizations as well as schools and universities when drafting the bill.
The exact details on how the bill will be developed practically speaking will happen over the coming months.
The government said that the new rules will also include “legal liability protection for organizations who carry out the requirements of the legislation.”
The move comes after studies have repeatedly revealed what almost everyone already knew was true, namely, that males have a considerable advantage over women in athletics.
Indeed, a recent study published in Sports Medicine found that a year of “transgender” hormone drugs results in “very modest changes” in the inherent strength advantages of men.
The passage of the law banning men from competing in women’s sports came at the same time the Smith government passed a bill banning so-called “top and bottom” surgeries for minors as well as other extreme forms of transgender ideology.