Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill Tuesday banning transgender girl from competing in girls’ and women’s public school team sports. The signing comes on the first day of Pride Month and just 11 days before the five-year anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando that left 49 dead.

DeSantis, a Republican, signed the bill on a stage at Trinity Christian Academy in Jacksonville with several teenage girls standing behind him. He described the bill as a way to protect "fairness and integrity" in women's sports and said, "that in Florida, girls are going to play girls’ sports and boys are going to play boys’ sports.”

The provision for Senate Bill 1028, dubbed "Fairness in Women’s Sports Act," prohibits an athlete from competing in school-sponsored sports if the athlete was not assigned the female gender at birth. Elementary school athletes are excluded from the ban.

Supporters argue that transgender women being designated male at birth gives them an advantage over other girls participating in the same sports. The bill, which was attached to a charter school bill, makes Florida the most populous state to pass a transgender athlete ban. It goes into effect on July 1.

There was immediate backlash to the bill. Democrats have argued that the bill is unnecessary and discriminatory. The Human Rights Campaign said it will sue Florida.

"Transgender kids are kids; transgender girls are girls. Like all children, they deserve the opportunity to play sports with their friends and be a part of a team," Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David said in a statement.

The NCAA could move championships from Florida. DeSantis has said that "we will stand up to groups like the NCAA, who think they should be able to dictate the policies in different states. Not here. Not ever."

“When determining where championships are held, NCAA policy directs that only locations where hosts can commit to providing an environment that is safe, healthy and free of discrimination should be selected," the NCAA said in a statement in April.

Twitter users reacted to DeSantis signing the bill.