Bill to protect women athletes scheduled for Senate floor

Legislation authored by Sen. Shelley Hughes to protect women’s sports from unfair transgender competitors is scheduled on the Senate floor for Thursday, May 5.

Hughes says opponents of SB 140 have gotten organized and are emailing statements of opposition to senators. She has reached out to Alaskans who care about girls and women athletes’ right to fair competition to ask them to counter the tactic from the Left.

In a statement, Hughes wrote:

“Fifty years ago, women’s sports changed forever. In 1972 slightly over 300,000 women and girls played college and high school sports in the United States. When I was a teenager, the only option for a female to be connected to a public-school athletic program was to be a cheerleader, and the cheerleading squads were small (5-10) at each high school. As of 2022, the number of female athletes in the U.S. has increased by over 900 percent to more than 3.5 million women and girls thanks to the passage of Title IX. This year, as we celebrate Title IX’s 50th anniversary, women and girls stand, once more, at risk of losing an even playing field in sports. An ever-increasing trend of males and transgender women who were born male playing in women’s sports threatens competition and fairness. Girls and women should not be robbed of the chance to be selected for a team, to win a championship, or to beIn a statement in support of SB 140, Hughes writes, “Fifty years ago, women’s sports changed forever.

“In 1972 slightly over 300,000 women and girls played college and high school sports in the United States. When I was a teenager, the only option for a female to be connected to a public-school athletic program was to be a cheerleader, and the cheerleading squads were small (5-10) at each high school. As of 2022, the number of female athletes in the U.S. has increased by over 900 percent to more than 3.5 million women and girls thanks to the passage of Title IX. This year, as we celebrate Title IX’s 50th anniversary, women and girls stand, once more, at risk of losing an even playing field in sports. An ever-increasing trend of males and transgender women who were born male playing in women’s sports threatens competition and fairness.

“Girls and women should not be robbed of the chance to be selected for a team, to win a championship, or to be awarded a college scholarship due to the physical advantages of transgender women.

“The goal of SB140 to ensure discrimination against girls and women does not occur – that they are treated fairly and not disadvantaged in athletic programs compared to male-bodied athletes. Undeniable evidence and scientific research conclude that the average biological male body is stronger, larger, and faster than the average female body even after testosterone suppression treatment. This is particularly true in high school athletics. For example, many male high school track and field athletes consistently beat the times of the best female Olympians who’ve trained intensely for years. Male-bodied athletes have a substantial physical advantage over female athletes in sports, regardless of the beliefs that the male-bodied athlete may hold about their sexuality or gender identity.”

The current version of the bill can be found at:

“This legislation is critical to ensure that the gains women have made since the passage of Title IX are not lost due to recent and unfounded interpretations of Title IX by the left. Senate Bill 140 is inclusive of all student athletes and every competitor would have at least two teams that they are eligible for under this bill—a coed team and a team that aligns with their biological sex at birth. Including transgender athletes in sports, should not come at the cost of discrimination against women and the loss of athletic opportunities and scholarships for Alaskan women,” Hughes said. The bill specifies that student athletes are to compete with their biological gender, not their gender appearance.

Emails can be addressed to the entire Senate body.  The list is as follows: 

[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected];[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]