SALT LAKE CITY — The ACLU of Utah and other advocacy groups filed a lawsuit on behalf of two families Tuesday against the bill passed by the Utah Legislature this year that bans transgender girls from playing in high school girls sports.
The lawsuit includes two transgender girls who attend public schools — a 16-year-old who wants to play volleyball and a 13-year-old swimmer. The families are filing the lawsuit anonymously “to protect their children,” the ACLU, National Center for Lesbian Rights, and law firm Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati said in a statement.
In March, the Republican-controlled Utah Legislature voted to override Gov. Spencer Cox’s veto of HB11, allowing it to take effect this spring. Legislative leaders said at that time they expect to face lawsuits in response — but a mechanism is in place if the law gets stayed by the courts.
“The lawsuit filed today is not surprising, as such actions have been threatened since the beginning. My goal has always been to protect girls sports and female athletes across the state and I hope the courts will recognize that and uphold the legislation,” bill sponsor Rep. Kera Birkeland, R-Morgan, said in a statement Tuesday.
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Written by ASHLEY IMLAY, KSL.com.
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