WASHINGTON, D.C.—Independent Women’s Voice (IWV) supports the introduction of House Bill 302, also referred to as “Preserving Sports for Female Students,” in the Utah State Legislature to save girls’ and women’s sports and, further, urges state legislators to vote yes when the bill comes to the chamber floor. If passed, House Bill 302 would establish that, when it comes to schools, local education agencies, and athletic associations in the state, “sex” shall be determined on the basis of biological sex at birth, not gender identity; that athletic activities must be designated by sex; and that “student[s] of the male sex” would be prohibited “from participating in an athletic activity designated for female students.”
State-level efforts to protect women’s sports are urgently needed. Recent executive action at the federal level by President Joe Biden jeopardizes the future of female sports and may even place girls and women in physical danger. Biden’s executive order allowing men, boys, or otherwise male-bodied athletes to compete with women would inevitably strip opportunities away from biological females.
“In the realm of athletics, biological sex differences matter,” said Hadley Heath Manning, IWV director of policy. “Without separate teams for women and men, men will dominate women in competitive sports where strength, size, or speed are relevant factors.”
IWV recently sent a letter urging all Utah state representatives to protect female sports by voting yes in support of House Bill 302 when it comes to the floor.
IWV’s sister organization, Independent Women’s Forum (IWF), has been speaking with women and girls across the country, collecting their stories about what being, raising, or watching female athletes means to them. They have also shared their concerns about Biden’s executive order and its implications for women’s sports.
Read more about Title IX and women’s sports from IWF HERE.
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Independent Women’s Voice fights for women by expanding support for policy solutions that aren’t just well intended, but actually enhance freedom, opportunities, and well-being.