The Arizona House of Representatives narrowly passed a bill that, if enacted, would bar trans-identified athletes from competing in girls’ sports.
On Tuesday, the House approved House Bill 2706, also known as the “Save Women’s Sports Act,” in a vote of 31 to 29.
Sponsored by 23 Republican legislators, the bill would require any interscholastic and intramural sports overseen by schools to designate boys’ and girls’ sports on the basis of biological sex.
“Athletic teams or sports designated for females, women or girls may not be open to students of the male sex,” reads HB 2706 in part.
“If disputed, a student may establish the student’s sex by presenting a signed physician’s statement that indicates the student’s sex based on an analysis of the student’s genetic makeup.”
Republican state Rep. Nancy Barto, who introduced the bill, said HB 2706 advanced fairness, given documented biological differences between the sexes.
“That is why we have separated male and female sports. And that is why women have been so successful in achieving greatness on the field, and all the benefits that go with it,” Barto added, according to ABC News.
“What has changed is Interscholastic policies allowing biological males identifying as females to compete on women’s teams.”
Democratic state Rep. Daniel Hernandez Jr. denounced the legislation on Twitter after the bill passed, calling it harmful to the state.
SOURCE: Christian Post, Michael Gryboski
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