Maria Boylan | Oppose SB211

Dear Members of the House Education Policy and Administration Committee, I am a board certified family medicine physician and I'm asking you to oppose SB211, which mandates the designation of school sports teams by sex assigned at birth, bars transgender girls from participating in girls’ sports, prohibits access to locker rooms consistent with a student’s gender identity, and introduces a private cause of action based on alleged harm stemming from violations. From both a medical and ethical standpoint, I find this bill deeply troubling. As a physician, I am committed to evidence-based care and to the health and well-being of all patients, including transgender and nonbinary youth. This bill ignores widely accepted medical guidelines and runs counter to best practices endorsed by every major medical association, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, and the American Academy of Family Physicians. These organizations affirm that transgender youth thrive when they are affirmed in their gender identity—not when they are singled out, marginalized, or denied access to activities that foster their mental, physical, and emotional health. For many young people, sports provide not only physical exercise but also critical social connection and emotional resilience. Excluding transgender students from this experience is medically harmful. I have seen firsthand the toll that exclusion, misgendering, and isolation take on my transgender patients. Depression, anxiety, and suicidality are tragically common among transgender youth, and these risks are dramatically increased when policies forcibly out them, deny them basic recognition, or create hostile environments at school. Conversely, when these young people are affirmed and included, they flourish. The argument that transgender girls pose a threat to fairness in girls’ sports is not grounded in science, but in fear and misinformation. The reality is far more nuanced—and blanket bans like this do nothing to address the complexities of athletic competition, while doing great harm in the process. This bill also raises serious ethical and practical concerns about student privacy and safety. Forcing transgender students into locker rooms that do not match their gender identity increases their risk of harassment and assault. And allowing lawsuits against schools opens the door to invasive scrutiny of students’ bodies and identities. It invites fear and litigiousness into spaces meant to nurture growth and learning. As a physician, I would never recommend a policy that knowingly harms a group of children, especially those already at high risk. This bill does exactly that. I urge this committee to reject it—and instead, to support policies that are rooted in compassion, science, and a genuine commitment to student well-being. Thank you for your time and for considering the health of all young people in your deliberations. Respectfully, Dr. Maria Boylan