Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed the Riley Gaines Act, barring transgender athletes and ending gender-identity recognition in sex-segregated spaces
On April 28, 2025, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed Senate Bill 1, the "Riley Gaines Act of 2025," into law. The act bars transgender girls and women from participating on female sports teams from K-12 through college, requires restroom, locker-room, and sleeping facilities at athletic events to be separated by birth-assigned sex, and defines "sex" in state law by birth-assigned sex. The measures end state recognition of transgender residents' gender identity in the covered contexts and create a private right of action against schools that do not comply.
Actors
On April 28, 2025, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed Senate Bill 1, the "Riley Gaines Act of 2025," passed by the Georgia General Assembly. The law bars transgender girls and women from participating on female sports teams at all grade levels from K-12 through college, and requires that restroom, locker-room, and sleeping facilities at athletic events be separated by birth-assigned sex.
The act defines "sex" in state law by birth-assigned sex, ending state recognition of transgender residents' gender identity in the settings it covers. It creates a private right of action, allowing individuals to sue schools and institutions that do not comply with the sex-based requirements.
Named after former collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines, the measure adds Georgia to a group of states that have narrowed the legal definition of sex to birth-assigned status and excluded transgender people from sex-segregated athletic competition and facilities.
Why we recorded this
Equal treatment under the law means the government does not strip a group of legal recognition because of who they are. Georgia's Riley Gaines Act defines "sex" in state law by birth-assigned sex, bars transgender girls and women from female sports teams from K-12 through college, and requires restrooms, locker rooms, and sleeping facilities at athletic events to be separated by birth-assigned sex. This records a state ending recognition of transgender residents' gender identity in the covered settings and backing the exclusion with a private right to sue non-complying schools.
Sources
- Lt. Governor Burt Jones and Riley Gaines Comment on Senate Bill 1 Becoming Law — Office of the Lt. Governor of Georgia primary accessed July 11, 2026
- Georgia SB1 (2025) bill record — LegiScan primary accessed July 11, 2026
- Kemp signs bills requiring school panic buttons, ban on trans girls in Georgia school sports — Georgia Recorder investigative accessed July 11, 2026
- Transgender girls, women banned from playing on female sports teams in Georgia — Atlanta Journal-Constitution investigative accessed July 11, 2026
- Georgia Governor Signs Anti-LGBTQ Law Restricting Transgender Students from Sports — GLAAD secondary accessed July 11, 2026
See also
- Georgia Gov. Kemp signed SB 140 banning gender-affirming surgery and hormone therapy for minors
- Georgia Gov. Kemp signed SB185, barring state-funded gender dysphoria treatment for transgender people in state prisons
- Georgia Gov. Perdue signed law requiring parental opt-out disclosure for school clubs, targeting Gay-Straight Alliances
- Idaho Gov. Little signed HB 352 banning K-12 classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity
- Idaho Gov. Little signed HB 239, requiring parental opt-in permission before schools may teach any content on sexual orientation or gender identity
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