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Bill to ban transgender women from competing in women’s high school, college sports moves forward

PENNSYLVANIA — A Republican proposal to prevent transgender women from participating in women’s school sports cleared a major hurdle Tuesday, passing the House Education Committee.

The “Save Women’s Sports Act” was co-sponsored by representatives including Carrie Delrosso (R - Oakmont) and now advances to the GOP-controlled House. The bill would require high school and college athletes to play on the team that aligns with their gender at birth.

“This fairness in women’s sports is very important,” Delrosso tells Channel 11. “Biologically, males and females are different. One of the things we need to protect are our girls and women, especially in sports. I am a woman, and we want to make sure our rights are protected.”

Delrosso says men shouldn’t take away from women’s wins or athletic scholarships.

“We’ve come this far — why would we go back as a society?” she adds.

But opponents like Dan Frankel (D - Squirrel Hill) argue this legislation addresses a problem that doesn’t even exist and creates more harm among a population with startling rates of suicide.

“It really is targeting one of the most vulnerable groups in our communities,” Frankel tells Channel 11. “It’s crazy to think a child would choose to be transgender in order to take advantage of that in competitive sports.  It’s outrageous to think about that.”

Frankel says Harrisburg shouldn’t be legislating the issue since the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, NCAA, even International Olympic Committee have their own gender equality rules.

The PIAA leaves decisions about transgender athletes to principals, and the NCAA has a sport-by-sport policy that sets transgender participation by the national governing body of that sport.

But Republicans argue, the commonwealth needs to take a stand.

“It’s our responsibility to make sure women are given the same equal opportunity as men, and we should not be having those rights taken away,” Delrosso adds.

Governor Wolf says if this bill passes, he will immediately veto it.

The ACLU says they also oppose this bill because it calls for further exclusion and isolation of the transgender community.