Debate centers on fairness and safety during hearing on transgender sports bills
Rep. Elizabeth Caruso of Caratunk speaks at a press briefing sponsored by the Republican party in the State House in Augusta to support proposed bills that would restrict transgender rights on May 8, 2025. (Photo by Jim Neuger/ Maine Morning Star)
Lawmakers on the Maine Legislature's Judiciary Committee heard more than eight hours of public testimony Thursday on a package of Republican bills that would roll back protections for transgender students in schools. The proposals include measures to restrict access to bathrooms and locker rooms, limit participation in sports, and prohibit school staff from using students' affirming names and pronouns without parental permission.
Supporters of the bills described them as efforts to protect girls' safety and fairness in athletics, as well as to uphold parents' rights in decisions about their children's gender identity. But critics argued the legislation mirrors a national wave of attacks on transgender rights and would put trans youth at risk.
Maine, which has drawn national attention for its gender-inclusive school policies, has seen an influx of proposals targeting those protections this session. In addition to sports, bathroom, and pronoun restrictions, lawmakers introduced bills that would strip gender identity from the Maine Human Rights Act and limit access to gender-affirming care.
Transgender teens and allies crowd State House to fight anti-trans bills
Similar bills have been passed by at least 28 states across the country, a statistic some Republican lawmakers cited during their testimony on Thursday.
But in Maine, similar attempts to restrict trans students' rights have failed, said Gia Drew, executive director of Equality Maine.
'They're trying to rehash issues that we've already had debates on here in the Legislature time and time again,' she said. 'The tactics some of the opposition have used are dangerous, and this has been going on for years now.'
The issue of trans girls' participation in sports has been central to Maine's months-long standoff with the Trump administration. After Rep. Laurel Libby (R-Auburn) posted a photo of a trans student athlete on her legislative Facebook page, President Donald Trump singled out Maine for its policy, prompting Gov. Janet Mills to tell the president she would see him in court. Since that exchange, at least three federal agencies opened investigations into Maine, claiming the state's inclusion of transgender athletes violated Title IX, a federal anti-discrimination law.
Before the hearing, a group of female student athletes spoke at a press conference in support of the bills, which they said would address unfair competition from trans athletes.
The issue of fairness was one that came up repeatedly during the hearing, from the bill sponsors as well as the student athletes that testified in support, who focused on biological differences between boys and girls, such as strength and speed, and argued that allowing trans girls to compete in women's sports creates safety risks and takes winning opportunities away from cisgender girls.
'Girls shouldn't have to feel uncomfortable in their sports, or be worried about getting seriously hurt,' said 17-year-old Biance Wright, an athlete from Benton.
Sen. Sue Bernard (R-Aroostook), who sponsored one of three bills addressing school sports, said the issue 'boils down to one question: Should a person be allowed to self-identify with a gender and be allowed to compete with an automatic advantage?'
Rep. Elizabeth Caruso (R-Caratunk) echoed those concerns, saying the bills she sponsored aimed to restore compliance with Title IX and referenced the Trump administration's executive order banning trans girls from girls' sports.
'This is not a political issue, and it's not a partisan topic,' said Caruso. 'Athletic potential depends on biology and not identity. Gender identity may be neutral in many areas of school life, but when it comes to sports and private spaces, terminology matters.'
Caruso and other lawmakers described the bills as a win for all Mainers. Judiciary Committee member Rep. Ellie Sato (D-Gorham) pushed back, asking, 'How is it a win for all Mainers if trans students are being discriminated against?'
The hearing drew hundreds of people, with critics of the legislation vastly outnumbering supporters. Many who testified, including other student athletes, said they didn't see an issue with trans student participation in sports.
Paige Lambert, a student athlete from Fairfield, told the committee: 'I've never felt threatened by a trans athlete. Never felt unsafe or mistreated by a trans athlete.'
'Let me be clear: trans people are not the threat, trans people are under threat,' said Betsy Rodman, an educator and mother of a trans child.
Some speakers warned that the legislation would endanger trans students by increasing bullying, mental health risks, and creating unsafe school environments. They underscored the need for inclusive spaces and highlighted the disproportionate discrimination trans students face, with several citing research that has found high rates of bullying and suicide attempts among trans youth.
'I can't count the number of times students have taken refuge in my office to avoid unsafe hallways, locker rooms or bathrooms,' Rodman said. 'I've never heard of a cisgender student feeling threatened or assaulted by a trans person in a bathroom, but I have many stories in the other direction, unfortunately.'
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