On January 30, 2025, the Georgia State Senate’s Education and Youth Committee voted on SB 1, the Fair and Safe Athletic Opportunities Act, which excludes anyone born male from competing in interscholastic women’s sports from kindergarten through collegiate levels.
The bill passed committee despite the associated negative side effects.
SB 1 - Sex-Based Designations in Sports
Sponsored by 30 Republican State Senators, SB 1 aims to exclude anyone assigned male at birth (AMAB) from participating in women’s sports in K-12 public and private schools as well as colleges. The bill mandates teams to be organized by male, female, and co-ed and requires sex-specific restrooms, changing rooms, and sleeping quarters. No male will be allowed to participate in any interscholastic competition on any team that is designated female; the same rule applies to females unless their school does not have a female team for that sport.
This rule has already been in place for several years, but the bill expands the age ranges. Whether birth certificates will be required when signing up for a sport or only when requested is unclear. Many Georgia parents and athletes are concerned that this bill will allow female athletes deemed “too good” to become targets of discrimination by competitors or teammates and that these girls will need to “prove” their sex, which could be detrimental to their mental health.
Senator Greg Dolezal (R-27), one of the bill’s sponsors, believes that males have a biological advantage over females in sports and that such an advantage requires females to have their own category to ensure safety and fairness. According to Senator Ed Setzler (R-37), this bill is not a discussion about undermining the dignity of people but rather about ensuring the safety and fairness of girls in sports. Senator Bo Hatchet (R-50) believes this bill will help keep girls like his daughters safe.
In disagreeing with this bill, Senator Elena Parent (D-44) pointed out that none of the pro-SB 1 senators considered the bill’s impact on intersex individuals. There also seems to be no need for the bill because the NCAA has changed its policy to prevent transgender athletes from participating in teams that correspond to their affirmed gender.
Parent suggested an amendment to exclude the K-8 range from this bill. This was seconded by Senator RaShaun Kemp (D-38). Senators Parent, Kemp, Freddie Powell Sims (D-12), and Sonya Halpern (D-39) voted yes to the amendment, but the amendment failed.
Halpern discussed her concern about revenue loss should the NCAA refuse to play championship games in the state, but this did not persuade her Republican colleagues.
Kemp suggested an amendment to confirm sex only by birth certificate checks and to block physical examinations. All voted yes; the amendment passed.
SB 1 with this amendment passed committee. Senators Parent, Kemp, and Halpern voted to oppose.
