The House Education Committee approved a bill Tuesday that will prevent girls who are transgender from participating on girls’ sports teams.
The big difference between House Bill 23 and the Senate bill passed last week is that HB23 will focus on high school athletes.
Rep. Ryan Dotson (R- Winchester) introduced the change in the bill, which “with this committee sub, and after talking with many of my colleagues, we thought it would be appropriate to cut out kindergarten through fifth grade,” Dotson said, “Since that, a lot of puberty changes don’t occur until later fourth or fifth grade.”
Testifying along with Dotson was Northern Kentucky resident and Independence Council Member Carol Franzen.
“I’ve been a high school boys and girls swim coach for the last nine years,” Franzen said. “I’ve also volunteered as a middle school boys football conditioning coach for close to a decade … many will think this is a religious or morality issue for me, but nothing could be further from the truth … I’m sure I’ll be called a racist or bigot or I’m against the LGBTQ community, but nothing could be further from the truth, as well. It’s a fairness issue.”
Franzen detailed that with the ACLU in attendance, she hoped they could testify on behalf of the young women being impacted by the situation or the thousands of female athletes being forced to compete against biological males.
“They claim to protect and fight for fairness and rights,” Franzen said. “Well, we’re taking the rights away from many to protect the feelings of a few.”
Just like last week at the Senate Education Committee hearing on Senate Bill 83, the House committee heard testimony from 12-year-old Fischer Wells, who is transgender, and 8-year-old Cedar Strobel. They also listened to David Walls, the executive director of The Family Foundation in Kentucky.
However, what made this committee meeting unique is that House Republicans flew in Matt Sharp, senior counsel and state government relations national director for the Alliance Defending Freedom.
“I think it’s quite telling that Matt Sharp from the Alliance Defending Freedom is here, has been flown in from a national group to present a national, manufactured solution in search of a local Kentucky problem that does not exist,” said Chris Hartman, the executive director of the Fairness Campaign. “That and the Alliance Defending Freedom have been traveling all across the nation pedaling this politically motivated bill that does not address the real situation here in Kentucky.”
Hartman elaborated that those at the Fairness Campaign believe that people should be treated with dignity and respect, including transgender people.