South Dakota Senate on Monday afternoon passed bill HB 1217 by a vote of 20-15 to prevent transgender people from participating in girls’ sports in public schools and public universities. Governor Kristi Noem indicated shortly after the bill was passed that she will sign the bill into law. “In South Dakota, we’re celebrating #InternationalWomensDay by defending women’s sports! I’m excited to sign this bill very soon,” Noem said on Twitter. The bill is titled “Promote Continued Fairness in Women’s Sports” and was passed in the House on Feb. 24. It was introduced by Rhonda Milstead, a Republican member of the South Dakota House of Representatives, and Maggie Sutton, a Republican state senator. The bill states that “a team or sport designated as being female is available only to participants who are female, based on their biological sex.” Opponents say the bill will discriminate against transgender girls and transgender women and violate the …