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Orlando, FL - Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier held a press conference in Orlando on Tuesday, urging U.S. Masters Swimming to implement stricter regulations to prevent transgender women from competing in women’s swimming events.
Uthmeier was joined by Florida Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas and Kim Jones, co-founder of the Independent Council on Women's Sports, who both spoke on the issue.
U.S. Masters Swimming, a Florida-based nonprofit organization, introduced an interim policy in July requiring members to certify their sex assigned at birth to compete in events.
Despite this, Uthmeier expressed concerns that the policy still allowed transgender women to compete in the women’s category, which he argued violated Florida state law.
Uthmeier stated that his office would use civil rights, anti-discrimination, and consumer protection laws to address the issue and protect the rights of women and girls in Florida.
In response, U.S. Masters Swimming confirmed that under its current policy, transgender women are ineligible for records, Top 10 rankings, or awards in the women’s category but may compete in the category that aligns with their gender identity.
The organization stated that its policy was in accordance with World Aquatics' eligibility guidelines.
Florida law already prohibits transgender girls and women from competing in girls' and women's sports at public schools and colleges.
U.S. Masters Swimming has not disclosed how many of its nearly 60,000 members are transgender.
The Independent Council on Women's Sports has been involved in lawsuits challenging transgender athlete participation in women’s sports at various levels.