Queen Creek, Arizona — Arizona lawmakers said a U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding state bans on transgender athletes in school sports strengthens a proposed ballot measure that voters will decide in November.
The ruling in West Virginia v. B.P.J. and Little v. Hecox held that states may define athletic eligibility based on biological sex. The majority wrote that safety and competitive fairness are important interests under equal-protection analysis, and that schools may determine eligibility for women's and girls' sports based on biological sex.
Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen, who filed an amicus brief in the case with House Speaker Steve Montenegro, called the decision a win for girls and common sense. He said the ruling provides important legal certainty for Arizona and other states with similar laws.
The ruling arrived as Arizona lawmakers advanced HCR 2003, the Protect Girls' Sports in Arizona Act. The ballot referral would require K-12 schools and athletic associations to designate sports teams as male, female, or coeducational based on the biological sex listed on a student's original birth certificate. The House passed it 32-25 in February, and the Senate approved it June 12.
