The Georgia Senate has approved Senate Bill 1, a controversial measure that would ban transgender girls and women from competing in female sports teams at public schools and colleges. The bill, which passed in a 35-17 vote, requires that student-athletes compete based on the sex listed on their birth certificate rather than their gender identity.

If enacted, the law would also require students to use locker rooms, changing areas, and sleeping quarters that align with their assigned sex at birth. Schools that fail to comply could lose state funding and face lawsuits.

The bill now moves to the Georgia House of Representatives, where Republican leaders are pushing for its approval. If it passes, Georgia will join more than two dozen states that have enacted similar bans on transgender athletes in school sports.

Supporters Say the Bill Protects Fairness in Women’s Sports

Republicans backing the bill argue that it is about fairness and competitive integrity in women’s sports. They believe that biological differences between males and females give transgender women an unfair advantage in sports.

Senator Greg Dolezal, the bill’s primary sponsor, stated:

“Without a boundary around female sports that excludes male advantage, males would dominate every major sporting competition.”

Other supporters pointed to a 2022 NCAA swimming competition at Georgia Tech, where Lia Thomas, a transgender athlete, won first place in the women’s 500-yard freestyle event. They claim that cases like these highlight the need for clear regulations on transgender participation in sports.

Opponents Say the Bill Targets a Small, Vulnerable Group

Democrats and LGBTQ+ advocacy groups strongly oppose the bill, arguing that it targets an already marginalized group and solves a problem that barely exists. They claim that transgender athletes make up a very small percentage of student-athletes, and there is no widespread issue of them dominating women’s sports.

Senate Minority Leader Harold Jones II criticized the bill, saying:

“Why are you making these transgender girls into supergirls that are just going to dominate everything? They just want to play. They just want to participate.”

Opponents also argue that the bill could have harmful effects on transgender youth, increasing mental health struggles and discouraging them from participating in school sports altogether.

National Impact and Trump’s Executive Order

The debate over transgender athletes in school sports has become a major political issue in the U.S. Last month, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a federal bill with the same goal, though it has not yet been considered by the U.S. Senate.

In addition, President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports”, which withholds federal funding from schools that allow transgender women to compete in female sports. Georgia’s proposed law follows the same conservative approach to transgender sports participation.

What’s Next for the Bill?

The bill will now be debated in the Georgia House of Representatives, where Republicans have already introduced House Bill 267, a similar piece of legislation. Given the support from GOP leadership in both chambers, it is expected that some form of the bill will pass.

If the bill becomes law, Georgia will officially ban transgender athletes from competing on school sports teams that align with their gender identity.