(The Center Square) – On Thursday morning, the state Senate Special Committee on the Protection of Women’s Sports met to continue its investigation about the policies implemented by athletic associations, schools, colleges and universities to “protect women’s sports.”
This is another step that Georgia is making toward becoming one of the 25 states which currently have legislation restricting transgender athletes from participating in sports not in line with their gender at-birth.
“I do appreciate hearing from both sides on this issue,” said Sen. Clint Dixon, R-Buford, and a member of the committee. “What I come back to … as a father of two young daughters, is that we’ve got to protect women. We’ve got to protect their sports. We’ve got to protect them in changing rooms.”
The committee was created by Republican Lt. Gov. Burt Jones in response to President Joe Biden’s administration pushing to rewrite Title IX and was designed “to investigate policies athletic associations, schools, colleges, and universities have implemented regarding the protection of women’s sports.”
Sasha Buchert of the Lambda Legal Organization, a legal organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, testified before the committee, requesting that a ban not be put on transgender athletes participating in female sports.
“I just would urge the committee to avoid recommending a blanket ban on the participation of transgender girls,” Buchert said. “I encourage the Legislature and this committee in particular to take a more measured and humane approach to this issue, rather than bowing to the extreme.”
As an alternative to a ban, Buchert recommended a committee be put in place to consider each instance on a case-by-case basis. Buchert also warned against the “demonizing terms” being used around the issue.
“Rarely has so much fear and anger been directed at so few,” Buchert said. “If they are not eligible to play on a girls team, they have no meaningful opportunity to play at all.”
Boys who say they identify as girls, however, are not prevented from playing on boys teams.
Legislators pushed back, trying to nail down what limits Buchert would be comfortable with, if any.
After a lengthy back and forth, Burchert solidified his position that each instance should be decided on an “individual basis.”
“There is no empirical evidence, no scientific evidence comparing transgender women and cisgender women that shows that after being able to suppress testosterone and undergo estrogen therapy that there is an elite competitive advantage,” Burchert concluded.
During public comment, many presented on behalf of both female athletes and transgender athletes. The meeting at times got heated.
Going forward, the committee will meet again to discuss recommendations to pass along to the rest of the Legislature. The committee will be disbanded on Dec. 15.
Though there are only two Democrats on the eight-member committee, Democrat Sen. Sheikh Rahman said he will be open to working with the committee to finalize its recommendations.
“Let’s keep the federal government out of it and do whatever is good for the state of Georgia,” Sheikh said. “I’ll be glad to work with you all to see what we can do to move forward in helping Georgia.”
