Judge temporarily blocks Arizona's 'Save Women's Sports Act'

On Jul. 20, a federal judge temporarily halted an Arizona law that prohibits boys who identify as girls from competing on girls’ sports teams at the youth and college levels.

District Judge Jennifer Zipps issued a preliminary injunction, which allows the parents of two transgender identifying students to bring a lawsuit against the state’s Save Women’s Sports Act that was passed last year.

The plaintiffs in the case argue that the law violates Title IX, which bars schools that receive federal funding from discriminating on the basis of sex.

[RELATED: Virginia Dems defeat bill that would have protected women’s sports]

“Plaintiffs will also suffer the shame and humiliation of being unable to participate in a school activity simply because they are transgender—a personal characteristic over which they have no control,” Zipps declared.

“There is no empirical evidence in the record that transgender girls who have not experienced puberty, have any physiological advantages over other girls that create unfair competition for positions on girls’ sports teams and other athletic opportunities, or pose a safety risk to other girls,” she noted.

Zipps also wrote that “Plaintiffs are transgender girls who have not and will not experience male puberty.” Citing groups like the American Psychological Association, Zipps stated,  “Attempts to ‘cure’ transgender individuals by forcing their gender identity into alignment with their birth sex are harmful and ineffective.”

Her ruling indicated that the proper medical treatment for gender dysphoria is allowing transgender-identifying individuals to “live consistently with their gender identity.”

The Arizona plaintiffs suing the state are two , ages 11 and 15, who are currently taking puberty blockers and undergoing female hormone therapy. 

“We are relieved that the judge saw past the misconceptions and harmful rhetoric used to demonize transgender girls,” said one of the plaintiff’s parents. “Our daughter [sic] is looking forward to making new friends and playing the sports that she [sic] loves.” 

[RELATED: POLL: Opposition to men in women’s sports is on the rise]

In response, State Superintendent Tom Horne asserted, “We will appeal this ruling. This will ultimately be decided by the United States Supreme Court, and they will rule in our favor.”

He also noted that the “only expert presented by the Plaintiffs was a medical doctor who makes his money doing sex transition treatments on children and who has exactly zero peer-reviewed studies to support his opinion.”

Campus Reform has contacted all relevant parties for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.