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Alabama Gov. Ivey signed HB391, barring transgender youth from K-12 school sports

On April 23, 2021, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed HB391 into law, prohibiting public K-12 schools from participating in, sponsoring, or providing coaching staff for interscholastic athletic events in which transgender athletes compete on teams matching their gender identity. The Alabama House passed the bill 73-19-2 on March 18, 2021, and the Senate concurred on April 20, 2021, before Ivey's signature.

Jurisdiction
Alabama
Location
Montgomery, Alabama

Abuses documented

Actors

On April 23, 2021, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed HB391 into law, prohibiting public K-12 schools from participating in, sponsoring, or providing coaching staff for interscholastic athletic events in which athletes compete against athletes of a different biological gender, unless the event specifically includes both. The bill was carried by Rep. Scott Stadthagen and passed the Alabama House 73-19-2 on March 18, 2021, before clearing the Senate 25-5 and receiving final House concurrence on April 20, 2021.

The law made Alabama one of the earliest states to enact a K-12 transgender sports ban, part of a wave of similar legislation introduced in more than 30 states that year. Alabama later extended the exclusion to public colleges and universities via HB261, signed May 30, 2023.

Why we recorded this

Equal protection bars government from excluding people from public programs because of who they are. Alabama enacted a statute barring transgender youth from public school sports teams matching their gender identity and blocking schools from hosting events that include them. Codifying exclusion from a public-school activity on the basis of gender identity narrows the civic principle that public institutions serve all students on equal terms.

Sources

  1. HB391 - Alabama Legislature (enrolled act text) — Alabama Legislature primary accessed July 18, 2026
  2. HB 391 (2021) - Anti-Trans Participation in Sports — ACLU of Alabama secondary accessed July 18, 2026
  3. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey Signs Anti-Trans Sports Bill into Law — Human Rights Campaign secondary accessed July 18, 2026

See also