Lombardo’s Push To Ban Trans Athletes Is A Desperate Distraction from Rising Costs

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - This week, Gov. Joe Lombardo announced he would spearhead an effort to ban trans athletes in Nevada as part of a constitutional ballot question initiative. This comes despite the enactment of Nevada’s equal rights amendment, and despite the fact that it’s unclear how many – if any – trans athletes at the K-12 level are in Nevada. It also comes as costs continue to rise under the pressure of Trump’s tariffs, hiring has stalled, and Nevada continues to have one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation.

André Wade, State Director of Silver State Equality, issued the following statement:

“This ballot proposal is a direct attempt to undermine the will of Nevada voters, who in the 2022 election overwhelmingly approved the Nevada Equal Rights Amendment, enshrining broad constitutional protections against discrimination. Nevadans were clear: our state should move toward greater equality and fairness, not backwards.

Athletics play a critical role in the lives of millions of young people across the United States. Sports help kids build teamwork, discipline, confidence, and a sense of belonging — skills that carry far beyond the field or court. This is especially true for youth who are isolated, bullied, or ostracized by their peers. For many adolescents, participating in sports is one of the few ways they are able to connect with others, form friendships, and feel valued rather than “too different” to belong. Targeting transgender youth takes that opportunity away and sends a clear message that they are not welcome.

These bans do real, immediate harm to children. They force adults, coaches, and even other students to police girls’ bodies and appearance, encouraging people to question who “looks feminine enough” to belong. Girls who are taller, stronger, broader, or simply do not fit outdated stereotypes are singled out, scrutinized, and harassed. This leads to more bullying, more invasive questioning, and more trauma for cisgender and transgender girls alike. These are not hypothetical concerns — we are already seeing these exact harms unfold in states that have enacted similar policies.

This ballot proposal is not about fairness or safety — it is a political ploy designed to energize a campaign base and signal loyalty to the Trump administration and its national agenda of attacking transgender people. It will only increase discrimination against transgender Nevadans and deepen stigma in our schools and communities.

Silver State Equality will mobilize with local and national partners to stop this initiative and hold accountable those who seek to strip Nevadans of their constitutional rights. We will continue fighting to ensure transgender Nevadans are protected from discrimination and treated with dignity and fairness.”

Paula Luna, Interim Executive Director of Battle Born Progress, issued the following statement:

“Joe Lombardo is a governor with a platform built on thin air and empty promises. No wonder he’s jumped at the opportunity to scapegoat trans athletes at a time when housing is out of reach, grocery prices have skyrocketed and tourism to Las Vegas is crashing. This governor would rather campaign on fear than good policy, would sooner scapegoat children and teenagers than admit he would rather defend Wall Street and his corporate donors than working Nevadans. This is the Lombardo-Trump reality, and it’s a reality Nevadans simply cannot afford.”

Barbara Hartzell, Executive Director of Native Voters Alliance NV, issued the following statement:

“It’s extremely weird that Governor Lombardo is far more concerned with policing children’s bodies than with whether Nevada families can afford rent, groceries, or health care. At a time when housing is out of reach, costs are rising, and too many Nevadans are one emergency away from financial ruin, he’s choosing to manufacture fear around kids who pose no threat to anyone. This proposal doesn’t solve a single real problem facing this state. It doesn’t lower prices, raise wages, or improve schools. It simply targets trans children to distract from an economic agenda that is failing working families. That’s not leadership. It’s a deliberate and cruel misdirection.”

Laura Martin, Executive Director of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada Action Fund, issued the following statement:

“Nevadans continue to deal with the housing crisis, costly groceries and corporations like Nevada Energy finding new schemes to price gouge them. Our state faces many unique challenges from having the two fastest warming cities in the country to our neighbors being kidnapped. What is Lombardo’s focus? Policing children’s bodies and culture wars that only serve to turn Nevadans against each other.”

Mark Riffenburg, Executive Director of NewVote Nevada, issued the following statement:

"Joe Lombardo’s demonization of our friends and neighbors in the trans community is shameful. All Nevadans should be treated fairly, and with dignity. Rhetoric like Lombardo’s cynically aims to pit Nevadans against one another to score political points on culture war issues that do nothing but stoke hatred and division, and put trans kids and their families at risk. Nevadans won’t take the bait."

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About Battle Born Progress: Battle Born Progress, through strategic communication efforts, empowers, engages and mobilizes Nevada voters to build a state where everyone has a fair opportunity to succeed. We support, engage, and mobilize the progressive community through bold leadership, strategic communications, accountability, and education. We are on the cutting edge of new media and are the go-to source for progressive issues and advocacy for traditional media.