Florida governor OKs limits on transgender student athletes

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis is plunging Florida deeper into the national culture debate over transgender rights.

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 identified as girls at birth.

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 identified as a girl when she was born.

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