TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis jumped into the conversation about a transgender swimmer who won a collegiate title by declaring the runner-up as the real winner.
DeSantis signed a proclamation Tuesday declaring declaring Florida-born Emma Weyant as the winner of the women’s 500-yard (457-meter) freestyle at the NCAA women’s tournament, rather than transgender athlete Lia Thomas.
“By allowing men to compete in women’s sports, the NCAA is destroying opportunities for women, making a mockery of its championships, and perpetuating a fraud,” DeSantis said on Twitter.
His proclamation comes nearly a year after he signed a bill that requires anyone participating in girls’ athletics to have an original birth certificate stating they are female.
The proclamation has no effect other than to let his displeasure be known and he’s used it as a fundraising tool for his reelection campaign.
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