Arizona Legislature Passes Two Bills Centered on Transgender Issues, All Eyes on Gov. Ducey Now

The Arizona Legislature passed two bills addressing transgender issues, which will be sent to Republican Gov. Doug Ducey to sign or veto. SB 1138 bans irreversible gender reassignment surgery for those under 18. SB 1165 prohibits males from participating in sports in public schools or at private schools that compete against public schools from playing on teams designated for females.

State Representative Shawnna Bolick (R-Phoenix), who co-sponsored SB 1165, testified regarding how she played on girls’ teams in high school but would have never been able to make the men’s teams. “The advantages bestowed by biological male puberty are so big that no amount of training or talent can enable biological female athletes to overcome them,” she said.

SB 1138, sponsored by State Senator Warren Petersen (R-Mesa), passed the State Senate 16-12 and the State House 31-26. It started out as a broader measure, banning all gender transitioning health care, but was narrowed to address only the irreversible aspects.

Read the rest of the article at The Arizona Sun Times
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