Florida governor bans transgender women from school sports

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis is plunging Florida deeper into the culture wars.

With a stroke of his pen on Tuesday, Florida is now the latest state to bar transgender girls and women from playing on public school teams intended for student athletes born as girls.

The measure DeSantis signed at a Christian school was approved by the GOP-led Legislature. Starting July 1, a transgender student athlete can't participate without first showing a birth certificate saying she was a girl when she was born.

Critics call the new law hateful and are preparing to challenge it in court.