蜜柚直播

鈥淪B 1165 protects opportunities for women and girls in athletics by ensuring a level playing field,鈥� Sen. Nancy Barto, R-Phoenix, told members of the Judiciary Committee. 鈥淚gnoring biological realities hurts girls and women who should not be forced to compete against men playing on women鈥檚 sports teams.鈥�

The 6-4 party-line vote on the measure, which already has cleared the Senate, comes despite any evidence that transgender girls in 蜜柚直播 are outperforming and defeating cisgender girls. And Dr. Kristina Wilson, who serves on the medical advisory board of the 蜜柚直播 Interscholastic Association, testified that out of 170,000 high school athletes there have been just 16 requests by transgender individuals to compete.

But the majority appeared to be swayed by stories from elsewhere.

Most notable is Lia Thomas, a star of the swimming team at the University of Pennsylvania, who began transitioning in 2019 while still competing on the men鈥檚 team. Then, as a woman, she has become a top competitor in those events.

Proponents said action is needed now to keep that from happening here, even though nothing in the legislation affects intercollegiate sports, which are not subject to state legislation.

The same panel on Wednesday also approved 鈥� and by the same margin 鈥� SB 1138. It outright forbids physicians from performing 鈥渋rreversible gender reassignment surgeries鈥� on anyone younger than 18.

That measure is not as comprehensive as the original proposal by Sen. Warren Petersen, R-Gilbert.

He had sought to make it illegal for health-care professionals to provide any gender transition procedures to minors. But amid opposition 鈥� and to get needed votes to get the measure out of the Senate 鈥� he had to carve out exceptions to allow pretty much everything short of actual surgery, including counseling and hormone treatments.

Petersen said there are studies that show the best thing to do is allow issues of gender dysphoria, where someone does not identify with the sex assigned at birth, is to let it 鈥減lay out naturally,鈥� giving teens the time before undergoing irreversible surgery.

But Brandie Reiner, executive director of the 蜜柚直播 chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, told lawmakers that 鈥済ender affirming care鈥� is the best preventative against mental distress, including suicide attempts.

It was the issue of who gets to participate in sports, though, that generated more discussion, including the testimony of transgender individuals on both sides of the debate. And some of that centered on numbers.

鈥淰olleyball nets for girls are more than 7 inches lower than for boys,鈥� said Cathi Herrod, president of the Center for 蜜柚直播 Policy.

鈥淎 high school shot-put standard for boys is 36% heavier for boys than for girls,鈥� she continued. 鈥淭he girls鈥� basketball is smaller. The hurdle height for girls in high school sports is 33 inches where for boys it鈥檚 36 inches.鈥�

But Skyler Morrison, a 13-year-old transgender girl, had her own take.

鈥淭here is no epidemic of transgender girls dominating female sports,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his bill is creating a pointless and harmful solution to a harmful and nonexistent issue.鈥�

Danielle Cortez told lawmakers how sports saved her life.

鈥淭aking that away from anybody, regardless of gender identity, is wrong and it鈥檚 cruel,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e just want basic human dignity.鈥�

Julie Egea, however, said she sees it from the perspective of her two daughters, age 16 and 9.

鈥淲ithout this bill, we will only see the oppression of our daughters,鈥� she said.

Egea said that, even at age 9, boys are stronger and faster than girls. And by 16, she said, the boys are more physical than the girls.

鈥淚f you allow the boys to play against the girls, girls are seriously going to get injured,鈥� Egea said. She said that keeping those born as boys out of girls鈥� sports will 鈥減rotect our girls鈥� mental health, protect their dreams, protect them from physical injuries and protect their futures.鈥�

And Jadis Argiope, a transgender woman, said she agrees, saying that the biological differences between those born male and those born female cannot be ignored despite what she called the 鈥渕arketing鈥� by the trans community.

鈥淎 lot of trans people like to live in the make believe,鈥� she said.

One issue is how all of this would get enforced.

It starts with how to determine who would be classified under SB 1165 as 鈥渕ale鈥� and therefore unable to participate in women鈥檚 sports. Hernandez questioned whether that would be based on a birth certificate, genetic testing or 鈥渋nvasive medical exam.鈥�

鈥淲e leave it up to the school to get that information,鈥� Herrod said. And she pointed out that, in general, students need to have a physical examination by a private doctor before participating in sports.

鈥淗owever that physician determines the sex, they would have to sign that affidavit and submit them,鈥� Herrod said.

On the tail end, the legislation would allow any student who has suffered a 鈥渄irect or indirect鈥� harm because a school allowed a transgender girl to participate can sue the school for damages.

Direct harm would be in the form of a physical injury. And Barto said indirect harm might be the loss of an academic scholarship.

The question of the role of the legislature in issues involving transgender individuals also came up in the debate of SB 1138, the measure banning reassignment surgery on minors.

鈥淚 oppose this bill that essentially dictates medical care and inserts politics into the exam room and patient-family relationships,鈥� said Dr. Atsyko Koyama, who specializes in pediatric emergency and adolescent medical care. And she said it takes away the ability of parents to make medical decisions for their children 鈥� but only for this kind of procedure.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 legislate nose jobs or breast augmentation or reduction or laser hair removal for minors,鈥� Koyama said. 鈥淧hysicians have lengthy discussions with parents and families to determine whether or not to proceed with permanent physical changes through surgical intervention.鈥�

Both measures now need approval of the full House.