Bill Seeking To Ban Transgender Girls From Competitive Sports Passes House

A bill seeking to ban transgender girls from playing competitive sports passed out of the House chamber Wednesday.

After impassioned questions and debate today that lasted two hours, the Save Women’s Sports Act is headed to the Senate. 

The bill passed with 79 yes votes and 18 no votes.

State Representative Toni Hasenbeck, R-Elgin, is carrying the measure.

“No one is saying you can’t compete in sports. All I’m saying is we need to leave female sports to biological females,” Rep. Hasenbeck said. 

Lawmakers in support offered a range of explanations, pushing back against accusations that House Bill 4245 is discriminatory.

A bill similar to HB 4245 ran last year, passed out of the house and stalled in the Senate.

The measure includes a requirement that students will have to legally attest to their gender before playing in sports. 

“Prior to the beginning of each school year, the parent or legal guardian of a student who competes on a school athletic team shall sign an affidavit acknowledging the biological sex of the student at birth,” the measure read, in part.

Concerns about the safety 2S+LGBTQ community are in question due to increased public rhetoric while this legislation is running. 

“Maybe you could better tell me how you’re going to remedy the harm that you’re going to cause to transgender students across Oklahoma, the harm that you have already caused, two years in a row,” Mauree Turner, D-Tulsa, who is staunchly opposed to the measure. 

“It saddens me that we are not considering the group of people that we are in fact marginalizing telling them over and over again you do not belong in sport in your school,” said Cindy Munson, a Democrat Representative from OKC. 

Freedom Oklahoma posted these resources today, due to rhetoric surrounding bills like this increasing the risk of self-harm among kids.

For more on the bill, click here.

Gender-affirming mental health support can be reached 24/7 at Trans Lifeline, The Trevor Project and certain hours at the LGBT Hotline. 

Trans Lifeline: 877-565-8860

The Trevor Project: 866-488-7386

LGBT National Hotline: 888-843-4564      

It is our policy to provide resources for anybody considering self-harm when reporting about a situation involving suicide or a suicide attempt. 

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a hotline for individuals in crisis or for those looking to help someone else. To speak with a certified listener, call 1-800-273-8255.

The Veterans Crisis Line and Military Crisis Line at 1-800-273-8255 (Press 1) connect veterans and service members in crisis and their families and friends with qualified, caring U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs responders through a confidential toll-free hotline, online chat, or text.

Crisis Text Line is a texting service for emotional crisis support. To speak with a trained listener, text HELLO to 741741. It is free, available 24/7, and confidential.