INDIANAPOLIS — A bill that would ban transgender girls from participating on girls' sports teams is moving to a full Senate vote after it passed through a Senate committee on Wednesday.
The bill, HB 1041, passed the Senate Education and Career Development Committee on Wednesday with an 8-3 vote. It will now move to the Senate for a full vote.
HB 1041 would prohibit transgender girls from participating on sports teams at K-12 public schools designated for girls. The bill would also establish a civil action for violations and schools wouldn't be subject to civil, administrative, disciplinary or criminal liability for complying with it.
A rally against the bill was held Wednesday afternoon before the committee met.
Demonstrators rallied today at the Statehouse against an Indiana bill that would prohibit transgender girls from playing on girls sports teams in K-12 schools.
— WRTV Indianapolis (@wrtv) February 16, 2022
(📸: Paul Chiodo/WRTV) pic.twitter.com/87tm0upxcp
MORE | Rally at Statehouse planned to oppose HB 1041, bill would restrict trans girls from girls' teams | ACLU says proposed Indiana bill would ban transgender students from school sports
Supporters of the bill, including its author, State Rep. Michelle Davis, R-Greenwood, want the bill to protect fair competition for females.
"I want to make sure that all the opportunities are provided for our young females and we protect the fair competition for them so they have all those possibilities," Davis said.
People who opposed HB 1041 spoke during the bill's hearing in the House Education Committee about the mental health toll transgender kids face when they're singled out by legislation. Many of them were parents who fear their kids will not be able to live a normal life if bills like HB 1041 become law.
"The Indiana Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics opposes this legislation because it would harm children in Indiana and further marginalize transgender youth who are already at higher risk of depression and serious mental health issues," Dr. Lauren Bell said. "Research has shown that refusing to acknowledge an individual's gender identity leads to psychological and physical harm. Gender identity is a well-established concept in medicine which refers to a person's internal sense of being male or female."
-
Indiana teen with leukemia finds healing on golf course during treatment
17-year-old Gavyn Fritz is golfing his way through leukemia treatment. After his December diagnosis, he swapped basketball for the golf course and even played while receiving a new experimental drug.
Indy's Vacant to Vibrant program transforms vacant lots into affordable homes
Nonprofit developers across Indianapolis are breathing new life into once-blighted properties through the city's Vacant to Vibrant program.
When to expect the first frost in central Indiana
It is feeling a lot more like fall to end the week. It got cold enough (mid 30s) in some spots to prompt a frost advisory.
Martindale Brightwood residents voice concerns about possible data center
Residents voiced their concerns about Metrobloks, a company that wants to bring a data center to the intersection of 25th and Sherman Drive at the site of the former Sherman Drive-in.
