Arizona’s legislative leaders, House Speaker Ben Toma and Senate President Warren Petersen, filed a motion to intervene in a lawsuit aimed at a state law that bans biological males from competing in women’s and girls’ athletic events at Arizona public schools, colleges and universities.
In 2022, S.B. 1165, the “Save Women’s Sports Act,” was passed to ensure young females are protected and provided with an even playing field in sports competition and athletic opportunities. On March 30, this bill was signed into law by former Governor Doug Ducey.
“Like it or not, it is Attorney General Mayes’ job to defend state law the Legislature passes. Because she won’t do her job, I feel an obligation as House Speaker, and as a father of five daughters, to intervene in this case and stand up for women and girls who should not be forced to compete in sports with biological males, who have obvious and unfair physiological advantages that cannot be overlooked,” said Toma.
The law requires “any athletic team that is sponsored by a public or private school to be designated based on the biological sex of the student participants. It allows injunctive relief, damages and any other relief available under law for students or schools that suffer any direct or indirect harm due to a violation.”
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A year later, on April 17, 2023, plaintiffs represented by a radical activist organization filed a motion for a preliminary injunction to stop the law from being enforced in Arizona. Unsurprisingly, newly-elected Democrat Attorney General Kris Mayes is not defending the constitutionality of the law, leaving GOP leaders like Toma and Petersen to intervene in the case and defend Arizonan women.
“Senate and House Republicans stand in solidarity to protect women and girls from the injustices being attempted against them by the extreme left. Female athletes deserve equal opportunities in sporting events, which will not happen so long as males are allowed to compete against them,” said Petersen. “Science is clear that male athletes have many inherent physical advantages over females, including greater size, stronger muscles and larger bone structure. By allowing males to compete against females, we’re essentially subjecting young girls to greater risk of injury, as well as stripping them of athletic opportunities their female predecessors have long fought for. In the absence of the Attorney General defending Arizona’s law, we’re looking forward to fighting for the rights of female athletes across Arizona, as well as for the Court making it clear Arizona’s law protecting women and girls should be enforced.”