The so-called “Save Girls Sports Act” by 18 Republican senators, weaponizes language to invalidate transgender and intersex people through an imposed binary on the term gender, in an attempt to ban trans girls from school sports in Georgia.

The proposed act would let cisgender students ‘file a grievance complaint’ if they are playing or ‘anticipate’ playing with trans students.

Legislation that is disguised to ‘save’ womanhood, is a reproduction of bio-essentialist hierarchies that perpetuate white-supremicist patriarchy, and invite a policing of all bodies.

The binary system of gender and sex goes against science, and is used to perpetuate harmful narratives that validate discrimination against trans and intersex folks.

Arguments attempting to uphold differences based on “biological sex”, fall apart as you dig into the science of how genes, gonads, and hormones keep sex subject to change: “The truth is, your biological sex isn’t carved in stone, but a living system with the potential for change,” Neurobiologist Dr. Simón(e) D Sun writes.

As long as we continue practicing a binary system to classify people, toxic masculinity and patriarchal femininity will continue to inform how we treat each other, regardless of any of our genders.

Most sponsors behind anti-trans sports bans, don’t know any trans athletes in their states, and their legislative attacks follow a repetitive theme of erasure: they doesn’t use the word “transgender” and “intersex” even once, but are specifically tailored to target trans and intersex folks through false narratives about “biological sex.”

Excluding trans girls and femme youth from participating in sports has negative outcomes for all youth, and this politics is a policing and surveillance of all bodies.

GA SB 266 was recommitted on January 10th, 2022.