Nebraska Governor in the United States, Jim Pillen, on Wednesday signed into law a bill prohibiting transgender students from participating in girls’ sports, joining a growing list of states that have enacted similar restrictions on transgender athletes in female sports categories.
Surrounded by lawmakers, women athletes, and supporters, including outspoken advocate and former collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines, Pillen formalized the legislation, which had narrowly passed the Nebraska Legislature the previous week.
The bill overcame a filibuster by just one vote, strictly along party lines.
Originally, the legislation included provisions to prevent transgender students from using school bathrooms and locker rooms that align with their gender identity.
However, that component was removed after Republican Senator Merv Riepe of Omaha signaled he would not support the bill if it remained in its original form.
The sports ban was introduced in 2023 by first-time Senator Kathleen Kauth. At the time, it failed to gain traction amid heated debate over her other proposal to ban gender-affirming care for minors under 19.
While that broader bill initially stalled, an amended version, banning gender-affirming surgeries but not all forms of gender-related care, was later approved and signed into law.
On Wednesday, Kauth declared her intention to reintroduce the bathroom and locker room ban next year.
“Men are men and women are women,” she said, urging constituents in Riepe’s district to push him to change his stance.
Supporters of the sports restriction argue it ensures fairness for girls and women competing in athletics. Critics, however, contend that the legislation targets a problem that scarcely exists.
According to the Nebraska School Activities Association, fewer than 10 transgender students have applied to participate in school sports since 2018.
With Nebraska’s decision, over 24 states have now enacted laws limiting transgender athletes’ participation in girls’ and women’s sports.
On the federal level, President Donald Trump in 2025 signed an executive order aimed at regulating transgender participation in sports and has since been involved in legal battles with states like Maine that permit inclusion of transgender athletes.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska sharply criticized the legislation. Its executive director, Mindy Rush Chipman, said the new law “slams the door shut” on some transgender students’ ability to engage fully in their educational environments.
“This ban will only create problems, not solve any,” said Rush Chipman, adding, “the constant targeting of LGBTQ+ Nebraskans must stop.”
