PHOENIX, AZ — Today, Independent Women celebrates the Arizona Legislature for the passage of the Arizona Sex-based Terms Act (House Bill 2062), inspired by Independent Women’s Stand With Women legislation, and applauds Arizona State Representative Lisa Fink (R-27) for introducing the bill. If signed into law by Governor Katie Hobbs, Independent Women’s sex-definition model in Arizona would preserve the legal existence of women as distinct from men and help safeguard the existence of single-sex spaces—including rape crisis centers, locker rooms, and prisons—by fortifying the definitions of male and female terms in law.
Arizona’s Stand With Women legislation:
- Defines common sex-based terms, such as ‘woman,’ ‘man’, ‘female,’ and ‘male,’ for purposes of state administrative law;
- Helps protect single-sex spaces and opportunities; and
- Requires publicly collected sex-based vital statistics to accurately reflect biology.
Last year, the Arizona legislature passed similar legislation, but Governor Hobbs vetoed it, disregarding common sense and blocking crucial protections for women’s rights in her state. The Arizona legislature’s passage of HB2062 this year gives Governor Hobbs a second chance to do the right thing and responds to the surge of support among voters driven by Independent Women’s “Stand With Women” initiative in the 2024 election to protect women’s single-sex spaces.
To ensure Governor Hobbs understands the importance of HB2062 and the coalition of women’s groups supporting it, Independent Women’s Law Center and Independent Women’s Network Arizona Chapters issued a letter to Governor Hobbs, urging her to honor the nationwide mandate of the American people and the will of Arizonans. The letter in part says, “Since last year’s action, it has become even more clear through polling and electoral outcomes that Arizonans support defining the two sexes. By signing HB2062, you have a second opportunity to stand with women, with science, and with common sense.”
Today, in response to the passage of this legislation, and as it advances to the Governor’s desk, Independent Women’s Network also launched an action center, urging Governor Hobbs to stand with women by signing HB2062 into law.
Arizona State Representative Lisa Fink (R-27), said, “HB 2062 is simple, common-sense, and necessary. It defines sex-based terms, already used throughout state code, so that words aren’t twisted to reflect subjective feelings and mean something untended. I thank my colleagues for prioritizing this bill and passing it in both chambers. Now I urge Governor Hobbs to please rethink the veto she issued last year on similar legislation and instead acknowledge women’s sex-based rights and sign this bill into law. Governor Hobbs’ signature would acknowledge what over 80% of Americans believe—that there are two sexes–and protect women from facing sex-discrimination in Arizona. It is past time for her to do the right thing for the sake of Arizona’s women and girls.”
Christy Narsi, the Phoenix, Arizona chair and national chapter director of Independent Women’s Network, said, “We can’t protect women if we can’t define ‘woman.’ I have a vested interest in making sure we do. I am a mother of two daughters. My first granddaughter is on the way. I am president of a public K-8 charter school where young girls come to learn. Our female Governor Katie Hobbs has been given a second chance to sign this critical legislation into law after vetoing it last year. And heading into her re-election, it’s certainly in her best interest to do so given the mass losses Democrats faced last election after refusing to stand for objective truth and biology despite near-unanimous support among all Americans that there are only two sexes. I urge Governor Hobbs to stand with women and with Arizonans by signing HB 2062 into law.” Narsi provided testimony in support of the legislation.
Beth Parlato, Independent Women Senior Legal Advisor, said, “Thank you, Arizona Legislature and Rep. Fink, for prioritizing this common sense legislation that would prevent sex discrimination. HB2062 simply codifies the original meaning of sex-based terms, already used in 107 Arizona statutes, to ensure we are all speaking the same language. This is crucial for courts to accurately interpret laws that already exist. I urge Governor Hobbs to swiftly sign this pro-woman bill into law to safeguard women’s rights.”
Recent polling shows that American voters support preserving biological reality and single-sex spaces. 86% of American Voters, including 84% of Female Voters, 83% of Democratic Voters, and 86% of Independent Voters, agree women and men are legally equal, but they are not biologically the same. 91% of American Voters, including 89% of Female Voters, 88% of Democratic Voters, and 92% of Independent Voters, agree, when it comes to prisons there are important reasons to separate the sexes. The polling was commissioned by Independent Women’s Voice and conducted by Wick Insights, is a national representative sample of likely 2026 midterm voters. View more polling here.
Kansas, Tennessee, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Arkansas, Alabama, Iowa, Indiana, West Virginia, Wyoming, South Dakota, Montana, and soon Georgia have all adopted laws inspired by Independent Women’s Stand With Women model, positively affecting the lives of nearly 30 million women and girls.
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