Sen. Irvin announces S.B. 354 at the Arkansas Capitol.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, February 25, 2021

On Thursday, the Arkansas Republican Women’s Caucus launched their Dream BIG legislative package. Senator Missy Irvin (R – Mountain View) and Representative Sonia Barker (R – Smackover) filed SB354, the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act as part of the legislative package they presented.

Family Council President Jerry Cox released a statement saying, “Senator Irvin has filed a great bill. All over the country we’ve seen biological males who claim to be female compete unfairly in women’s sports. Allowing males to compete in girls’ sports reverses almost 50 years of advances for women. Destroying girls’ athletics hampers girls’ abilities to compete for athletic scholarships and hurts their professional opportunities as adults. SB354 prevents this from happening in Arkansas.”

Cox said SB354 is necessary to preserve fairness in women’s sports and letting boys compete in girls’ sports puts girls at a distinct disadvantage. “Boys who compete against girls in athletics have a physical advantage. Science and common sense tell us male athletes generally are bigger, faster, and stronger. Their hearts and lungs are larger. They have denser bones and stronger muscles.”

Cox said we are pleased that the Arkansas Republican Women’s Caucus is pushing back against federal pressure to let boys compete against girls. “President Biden has already issued an executive order indicating his administration believes biological males should be able to compete against females in sports. We expect the federal government to pressure schools to let boys compete in girls’ athletics in the coming months. When that happens, this bill gives Arkansas’ public schools a tool they can use to push back.”

Family Council fully supports SB354. “The Fairness in Women’s Sports Act that Senator Irvin, Representative Barker, and the Arkansas Republican Women’s Caucus has filed is a great bill. We hope the Arkansas Legislature will pass it and Governor Hutchinson will sign it into law,” said Cox.

Family Council is a conservative education and research organization based in Little Rock.

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