An Arizona Democratic lawmaker admitted that men identifying as transgender women are actually men, but that females opposed to their inclusion in sports just aren’t competitive enough.
State Sen. Catherine Miranda, a Democrat representing the 11th district, made the remarks during this week’s hearing on HCR 2003 in the Senate Education Committee.
That legislation was passed by the House last month and would require athletic associations sponsoring interscholastic or intramural sport to designate each sport based on the sex of the participating athletes. It would also prohibit individuals from using any private spaces for athletes that don’t correspond with their sex. All Democrats on the Senate Education Committee voted against the legislation.
Kaylie Ray, an NCAA Division I volleyball athlete at Utah State University, testified in support of the bill and as a consequence was subjected to Miranda’s criticisms questioning Ray’s dedication to her sport. Ray recounted how she and her team were forced to compete against a male starter who identified as a female in college, and noted the striking physical advantages he and other male athletes possess.
“My teammates and I feared for our safety, and we were disheartened by the lack of fairness,” said Ray. “Our basic right to fair and safe competition was violated because the people who were meant to protect us decided that validating this individual’s identity was more important. And let me be clear: bodies play sports, not identities.”
Sen. Miranda dismissed Ray’s testimony as a weakness of mind, not physical disadvantages. Miranda said that Ray and other females opposed to competing against males identifying as females lacked “a sports mentality,” and that they were weaker for it.
“It’s the individual person on how competitive you want to be,” said Miranda. “You grew up one way, I grew up a different way. I would have taken on men in a heartbeat.”
Miranda indicated Ray and other females opposed to males in sports weren’t sufficiently competitive or serious about their sports.
“So, how competitive do you think you really are?” asked Miranda.
“I would have taken on a man in a heartbeat.”
AZ State Sen. Catherine Miranda criticized Utah State volleyball captain @kaylieray13 for forfeiting against San Jose State’s team with a male player, suggesting she lacked competitive spirit.
Worth noting: the Senator did not play… pic.twitter.com/V3r9bYncrW
— ICONS (@icons_women) March 12, 2026
In 2023, North Carolina high school volleyball player Payton McNabb suffered a traumatic brain injury and neck injuries after a male identifying as a female spiked a ball in her face during a match. Countless girls and women over the years have sustained such an injury from other female players. Since a male was behind the ball, the outcome was much different for McNabb.
Watch the clip of Payton McNabb getting spiked in the face by a male competing with the women. Then watch her testimony she gave today for the first time publicly. I was honored to stand alongside her in NC to continue the fight to protect women's sports. pic.twitter.com/mvJmwprkaX
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) April 20, 2023
Miranda’s remarks implied that she and Ray shared equal footing as athletes. However, Miranda only played basketball at the high school level. She did not compete in college or professionally.
Miranda has claimed in various biographies that she received scholarship offers to play basketball for South Mountain Community College and Arizona State University, but was forced to decline due to ACL injuries. Miranda has only ever offered verbal proof of these claims.
In explaining her vote against HCR 2003, Miranda claimed lawmakers were addressing a non-issue. Miranda said the legislation was “discriminatory” and an “attack” on LGBTQ+-identifying individuals.
“It’s out of reach, it’s out of touch, it’s out of reality,” said Miranda.
Ms. Miranda, what do you have against Women’s sports? You’re advocating for an extreme minority versus supporting the majority who participate in Women’s sports because (1) they’re women, (2) they are competitive, and (3) wish to be respected for their talents and abilities, not unfairly compared to male athletes. Sad, sad. Shame on you.
There’s no attack on the LGB, it’s the lunatic TQ+ that is, rightfully, getting slapped around by reality and objective truth. LGB really needs to distance themselves from the nut jobs before they become blue-on-blue casualties to suicidal empathy. The Democrat party is utterly lost.
Go ahead & explain away the only 2 scientifically PROVEN genders of the XY chromosomes, that’s complete denial, but denegrating someone by accusing them of poor competitiveness demonstrates your lack of self confidence! You poor thing…
Catherine Miranda is a fraud and always has been. Just like her late husband, she is a lying POS. How does she get votes? How?
So, she would’ve competed against a male in high school Bball “in a heart beat”? Sounds like she’s kiss the Blarney Stone! (a nod to St Paddy’s day)
How can a dumb person like her elected to be a responsible office? Oh, I see, the dumb voters elected her. She is a reflection of her voters. We really have no chance or rescue in this state!
Only the most obdurate leftists continue to vocalize this nonsense.
There is no hope for the Left.
And somehow Republicans can’t win in AZ with lunatics like this admitting such things? RINOs would rather have her than MAGA.
Glad she’s saying it out loud.
Trans women are women, obviously, and she was incorrect on that point. On the issue of fairness, however, she is justified in her skepticism of the Sore Losers’ Movement. The latest and best science does not support the idea that trans women have an unfair advantage. If you have not seen it, pls. consider this study from The British Journal of Sports Medicine published in 2024. https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/58/11/586 . It shows that by most metrics trans women have no advantage and by some metrics–jumping height relative to body weight, VO2 transfer–they have significant disadvantages. The way forward is reasonable HRT requirements, not blanket bans. Payton McNabb hurt herself by inexplicably attempting to block a spike with her face. Both her, Riley Gains and all the members of the Sore Losers’ Movement needed to work harder to win, not vilify their opponents.
You are obviously a leftist lunatic, your junk science is a joke.
So, how to explain that men who are, at best, mediocre in their sport, dominate in women’s competitions? Perhaps, by the good senator’s analysis, the men simply weren’t mentally strong enough against men, but somehow raised themselves to elite status by taking on girls. Are we saying even mediocre men are innately superior to the best women have to offer?
Obviously, if you have male “junk”, you’re not a woman. Here’s a stat you won’t like. The golfer with the shortest driving average on the PGA tour is 9 yards longer than the woman golfer with longest driving average on the LPGA. Maybe we should let dudes play in the LPGA, WNBA and women’s division major Tennis tournaments. Throw in USA women’s soccer and Ice Hockey. Attendance and viewership would plummet, advertising dollars would disappear and the problem would e solved……. they would simply go away.
Transwomen are not women by virtue of the chromosomes. DNA never lies. Trust the science.
A man pretending to be a woman is the definition of mental illness and the inability to accept reality. A dress, heels, layers of spackled on makeup, and fake fingernails won’t make a man a woman, either.
FACT: After puberty, men have greater lung capacity, increased muscle strength, and increased endurance. Prove me wrong!
It is getting increasingly difficult to separate parody and satire from legitimately insane commentary & opinion, i.e. a functioning and emancipated adult cannot possible hold these thoughts seriously.
You like Miranda are clearly the worst among us who will do everything In their power to undermine all normalcy and decency in the name of Liberalism. She was disrespectful, condescending dismissive and everything the dems have come to represent. The voters of Arizona need to get rid of this pariah
Even though I have never boxed in my life, I’d like to challenge Senator Miranda to a boxing match. To make it fair, I’ll wear a dress.
A RED ONE PLEASE
I would like to nominate Senator Miranda for the Conservative Circus Clown of the Week.
Yes, I am ashamed that Miranda is in Arizona politics. So out of touch with reality. Playing little league with little boys is not playing sports against MEN! So ignorant!
She admits they’re men. Is she against women’s sports? Did she compete against males in little league baseball?