On Monday, the Alaska House of Representatives held hearings on House Bill 183, which is intended to ensure that only girls compete in Alaska girls' sports teams. The bill will ensure that Alaska school athletes will play only on the teams that correspond to the sex on their birth certificates. Alaska, at present, does not allow changing sex on birth certificates, nor is a designation of "X" allowed, as is the case in some other states.
The hearings were scheduled to begin Monday at 8 AM AKDT.
House Bill 183, to protect Alaska’s girl athletes from having transgenders take over their teams and competitions, is the subject of a public hearing on Monday at 8 am in the Alaska House Education Committee.
Last week, the committee heard from NCAA champion swimmer Riley Gaines and others in the athletic realm about the need to protect girls from boys who decide they’d rather compete in the girls’ divisions.
On Monday, the committee will hear from the ACLU-Alaska, which has put out an action alert for its supporters to call in and oppose the bill, which the group claims is anti-transgender.
You can read the entire bill here.
The key provision of House Bill 183 reads as follows:
A student who participates in an athletic team or sport designated female, women, or girls must be female, based on the participant's biological sex as either female or male, as designated at the participant's birth. The biological sex listed on a participant's birth certificate may be relied on to establish the participant's biological sex designated at the participant's birth if the sex designated on the birth certificate was designated at or near the time of the participant's birth.
I would take some issue with the term "designate," as sex is innate, not designated. But other than that the language is clear and the intent of the bill is plain; only girls will be allowed to play on girls' sports teams in Alaska schools.
This bill is part of an ongoing effort to ensure fairness for Alaska girls in sports.
Previously on RedState: It's a Done Deal Now: Alaska School Activities Association Bans Boys From Girls Sports
The Fight for Fairness in Alaska School Sports Continues, Now With More ACLU
Now the fight has gone to the state legislature, and many Alaskans who are in favor of common sense have their fingers crossed. I have spoken with our Susitna Valley representatives and know that they are on the right side of this issue, and I'm pretty sure many other Alaskans are doing likewise.
The bill does go further than just prohibiting dudes on girls' sports teams; it also provides for recourse against any school that allows a boy on a girls' team and thus deprives a girl of "opportunity," which would appear to encompass now only a place on a team but also such things as scholarships.
Sec. 14.18.170. Liability.
(a) A student who is deprived of an athletic opportunity or suffers direct or indirect harm resulting from a violation of AS 14.18.150 may bring a private cause of action against the violating school.
(b) A student subjected to retaliation or other adverse action as a result of reporting a violation of AS 14.18.150 to an employee or representative of a school, school district, or athletic association or organization, or to a state or federal government entity with oversight authority, may bring a private cause of action against the retaliating entity.
(c) If a school or school district suffers direct or indirect harm as a result of a violation of AS 14.18.150, the school or school district may bring a private cause of action against the violating entity.
It's a shame that one has to resort to a law to ensure this elementary fairness for girl's sports, but that's what we have come to, not only in sports but even in bathrooms - even here in Alaska.
See Related: Family of 'Gender Confused' Alaska Child Sues Schools Over Bathrooms
The ACLU-Alaska will, of course, also provide testimony.
On Monday, the committee will hear from the ACLU-Alaska, which has put out an action alert for its supporters to call in and oppose the bill, which the group claims is anti-transgender.
The bill, of course, is not "anti-transgender." Any youth who claims to be "transgender" may continue to make said claim until they turn chartreuse, and much good may it do them. But if Alaska's House Bill 183 passes, and it should, it will not interfere with that but will ensure that Alaska girls are only competing against other girls in school sports. This has nothing to do with being "anti-transgender." It has to do with elementary fairness and the fact that allowing boys to compete on girls' teams is brutally unfair.
As of this writing a vote has not been scheduled for House Bill 183. When it happens, be assured we'll bring you the news.
