Kiera Riley
Arizona Capitol Times
Senate President Warren Petersen, R-Gilbert, and House Speaker Ben Toma, R-Peoria, filed a motion to intervene in a federal suit to defend the 2022 law banning transgender girls from participating in girls’ sports.
The National Center for Lesbian Rights filed the suit on behalf of two unnamed transgender girls looking to participate in school sports and claim the law violates the Equal Protection Clause, Title IX protections and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne, as well as a Tempe school district and a Tucson private school, are named as defendants in the suit.
Petersen, Republicans, transgender sports, girls
In the filing, attorneys for Petersen and Toma argued their participation in the case was vital as “no other party has filed an entry of appearance to defend the state law at issue” and note Attorney General Kris Mayes said her office would not be defending the law.