Maryland lawmakers are set to hold a hearing on Wednesday on legislation that would prohibit the participation of biological males in girls sports throughout schools in the state.
Known as the Fairness in Girls’ Sports Act, the legislation has at least 17 sponsors in the Maryland General Assembly and would require “certain interscholastic and intramural junior varsity and varsity athletic teams or sports sponsored by certain schools to be expressly designated based on biological sex.”
If passed into law, the bill would protect schools from “adverse actions” taken by anyone in response to a school’s maintenance of separate teams and sports for biologically female students.
Collegiate teams in Maryland would not be affected by the legislation.
“Policies with regard to participation in sports are easy to create; there should be no special allowances or rules for gender identity. Bodies play sports, not identities,” Republican Del. Kathy Szeliga said in a reported statement .