“ CORNISH: I want to move on to something else since you're talking about kids - the law that you signed yesterday barring transgender kids from playing on sports teams that align with their gender. There has been a lot of opposition to this publicly. Many business groups have spoken out as well as some college students. Can you talk about why you decided to sign it?
JUSTICE: Well, Audie, to tell you the truth, from the standpoint of our middle school and our high school kids, I was all-in right from the get-go. From the standpoint of bringing in the college kids, you know, I had some reluctance because of just knowing the NCAA and how they would feel about this and everything. And I didn't want to - I didn't want to do something that would cause additional harm. I may very well just let it go into law. I would either sign it or let it go into law. And then I said to myself, you know, I'm a coach. I coach high school girls right now. And I can't in my mind think that it's right from the standpoint of how hard that the girls have worked towards Title IX...
CORNISH: But given this experience you're talking about, have you had a single example of a transgender child trying to gain unfair competitive advantage?
JUSTICE: No, I have not.
CORNISH: Then why sign such a bill?
JUSTICE: Because evidently, it is out there. And when I - I mean, I can absolutely promise you, Audie, that just this - that if you have that situation, you're going to disadvantage girls that absolutely have worked so hard to get to where they are. And that's not fair in my mind.
CORNISH: I understand the argument you're making here. I'm also asking you for the evidence behind it. You know, you've had collegiate and professional sports organizations that have had trans-inclusive policies for years without incident. Why would West Virginia need the special ban?
JUSTICE: Audie, first of all, I want you to know this - and again, trying to be perfectly fair - you know, that's one thing I am. I'm hung up on the truth all the time. This wasn't a bill that I prioritized. This wasn't my bill. This is a bill, like hundreds of other bills, that come to me for my signature or my veto.
CORNISH: But, Governor, as leader of the state, I don't know if that argument really works. I mean, you are - you set the priorities for yourself.
JUSTICE: I very proudly am signing the bill. And the reason that I've signed the bill is just this - I know that we worked really hard for Title IX. And now if we did have students, transgender students that we're trying to compete with the girls, it would put the girls at a significant disadvantage. I am all for...
CORNISH: And to be clear, from the point of view that these advocates, transgender children are children. Trans girls are girls, and they would be competing, you know, within their cohort.
JUSTICE: Audie, there's no point - and we can volley on this all day long. But in my opinion - and this is just how I feel. Absolutely, I think that it would disadvantage girls that are trying to compete and have worked so hard to be able to have the right to compete. And so in that, I just can't be a proponent. I just can't do that.
CORNISH: Governor Jim Justice of West Virginia, thank you for your time today.
JUSTICE: Thank you, Audie. Thank you so much. “
https://www.npr.org/2021/04/30/992545248...-vaccinate
