HARRISBURG, Pa. — It's a conversation across Pennsylvania and the nation: Should transgender athletes participate on the sporting teams they identify with, or should they be made to play on the team that matches their sex at birth?
Late Tuesday evening, the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed House Bill 972, the "Fairness in Women's Sports Act."
This law would stop trans athletes from joining a team or sport designated for women or girls.
The bill passed the House by a vote of 115 - 84. One Republican voted against the bill, and four Democrats voted for it.
This bill covers sports from kindergarten through 12th grade, in college, and any teams sponsored by schools.
Newswatch 16 reached out to the Eastern PA Trans Equity Project for its reaction.
Executive Director Corinne Goodwin says not only do they condemn the bill, but says, "This legislation is vague, overly broad, and is harmful to and targets transgender youth as young as age 5 who simply want to be part of a team and gain the academic and social benefits of playing sports with their school mates."
Gov. Tom Wolf has already come out on Twitter, saying he will veto the bill.
Across the country, ten states have passed bills similar to PA's Fairness in Women's Sports ACT.
The bill in Pennsylvania will now head to the state senate for consideration.
A date for that vote has not yet been set.
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