Phoenix, AZ - Today, Governor Doug Ducey signed into law SB 1165, an unconstitutional bill that prohibits trans girls from playing on athletic teams that align with their gender identity. K.M Bell, campaign strategist for the ACLU of Arizona, had the following reaction:
“First and foremost — to trans kids in Arizona: know that you are loved and you are not alone. Governor Ducey’s decision to sign this harmful and discriminatory piece of legislation into law is nothing more than a political ploy to score points with extremist lawmakers and hateful groups peddling falsehoods and manufactured outrage.”
“SB 1165 aims to fix a problem that does not exist – Arizona already has policies in place around the participation of transgender athletes that, as the Arizona Interscholastic Association explained to the legislature, work just fine. This bill replaces that inclusive system with one that bans all transgender girls from gaining the benefits of participating in sports, sending a message that trans kids are not deserving of the same humanity and dignity as everybody else. This bill will do nothing more than harm the mental health and physical well-being of youth across Arizona.”
