Rep. Toni Hasenbeck, R-Elgin

OKLAHOMA CITY – The “Save Women’s Sports Act” was today approved by the Oklahoma House of Representatives.

Rep. Toni Hasenbeck, R-Elgin, serves as the House author of the measure which would require certain athletic teams to be designated based on an athletes’ biological sex.

“Senate Bill 2 is legislation that protects opportunities for women and girls in athletics by ensuring they are not forced to compete against biological men playing on women’s sports teams,” said Hasenbeck. “Sports are a fantastic opportunity for our young people to learn the value of hard work and what it means to be part of a team, as well as keep them physically fit. However, the bodies of biological men have a competitive advantage over the bodies of biological women. Science tells us that males are generally bigger, faster, and stronger than females. They have larger hearts and lungs, denser bones, and stronger muscles. This allows them to jump higher, run faster and lift more weights, even after several years under the effects of hormone therapy. Similarly gifted and trained males will always have physical advantages over females—that’s the reason we have women’s sports.”

According to Senate Bill 2, any student who is deprived of an athletic opportunity due to a violation of this rule, shall have a cause of action for injunctive relief against the school. Any student who is subject to retaliation by a school, athletic association, or intercollegiate association for reporting a violation of this rule, shall have a cause of action for injunctive relief against the school, or athletic association. The measure also prohibits the State Board of Education, the State Regents, and any athletic association from entering a complaint, opening an investigation, or taking any other adverse action against a school for maintaining athletic teams for students of the female sex. The bill was authored in the Senate by Sen. Michael Bergstrom, R-Adair.

“When we ignore biological reality, girls get hurt. In athletics, girls are losing medals, podium spots, public recognition, and opportunities to compete. In one year, 275 high school boys ran faster times than the lifetime best of World Champion sprinter Allyson Felix. I believe that biological females should not have their opportunities to compete, achieve records, and receive athletic scholarships infringed upon,” Hasenbeck continued. “I understand that this is a complicated and sensitive issue. I believe we should work with transgender athletes to allow their participation in sports in other ways, and that’s a conversation I am very willing to have. This bill is not about excluding transgender athletes, it is about preserving the opportunity for biological female athletes to achieve at the highest levels in their sports.”

Senate Bill 2 passed the House 73-19. As an amendment was adopted in the House; it now returns to the Senate for a final vote.