INDIANAPOLIS — A bill that would make it illegal for transgender girls to participate on sports teams designated for girls at public schools in Indiana is moving forward.
The bill, HB 1041, will move to the Senate after it passed the House with a 66-30 vote on Thursday.
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.
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."
-
Delphi Murders Trial: Day 21| Jury wrestling with Richard Allen verdict
The jury has worked 14 hours over parts of three days on the Richard Allen case. They still do not have a verdict, as they returned to work Monday.
Thought Halloween was over? Not for this Greenwood family business
Some people are debating whether or not it’s time to decorate for Christmas. But for one Greenwood family business, Halloween never ends, even after the big box stores close for the season.
Indy non-profit brings resources to veterans struggling with substance use
Overdose lifeline is a local non-profit helping to bring context to the link between addiction and veterans’ mental health challenges.
Trump announces former acting ICE Director Tom Homan as new 'border czar'
President-elect Donald Trump announced that Tom Homan will be his new "border czar" after Homan told CBS News that some U.S. citizens could be among those included in mass deportations.
