It’s confirmed.
A ballot measure banning transgender students from using facilities aligned with their gender identity will head to voters this November. If passed, it would legally require the separation of teams by biological sex and expand on the existing ban on transgender girls’ participation in school sports.
Proponents say the measure will level the playing field — literally.
Kaylie Ray, a college volleyball player from Arizona, told legislators about her firsthand experience competing against a transgender athlete while she was a student at Utah State University.
“I didn’t go seeking this out. I didn’t find opportunities to stand up and say something, and it just fell in my lap,” Ray said. “I’m very passionate about the sport. It has given me my life truly. I don’t even know where I would be without it, and so I feel very passionate about protecting the opportunity for other young women and girls who want to achieve at the highest level.”
Ray, who supported the bill as it made its way through the Legislature, said she plans to continue advocating for the measure as it heads to the ballot.
Democrats continued to oppose the bill, deeming it a discriminatory measure singling out transgender girls.
