JACKSON, Miss. (AP) Mississippi Republican Gov. Tate Reeves said Thursday he will soon sign a bill to ban transgender athletes from competing on girls or womens sports teams in the states schools and universities.

Alphonso David, president the LGBTQ civil rights organization Human Rights Campaign, is sharply criticizing Mississippi and other states that are considering such legislation.

While millions of people in Mississippi are waiting for urgent relief as it relates to COVID-19, the leaders of Mississippi are not focused on that. Rather, theyre focused on prioritizing bullying against transgender kids, David said during an online news conference Thursday.

Reeves said on Twitter that the bill would protect young girls from being forced to compete with biological males for athletic opportunities.

Its crazy we have to address it, but the Biden E.O. forced the issue, Reeves tweeted Thursday. Adults? Thats on them. But the push for kids to adopt transgenderism is just wrong.

Democratic President Joe Biden signed an executive order Jan. 20 the day he took office that bans discrimination based on gender identity in school sports and elsewhere. Mississippi is one of more than 20 states with lawmakers proposing restrictions on athletics or gender-confirming health care for transgender minors this year.