AUGUSTA — Supporters and opponents of a proposed ballot measure addressing transgender sports participation and bathroom access descended on the State House Tuesday to make their voices heard.
Supporters say the initiated bill seeks to ensure that female high school athletes have a level playing field and private spaces. Opponents say the measure is unnecessary and harmful for transgender students and would burden public schools.
“In the hunt to exclude the few, currently nonexistent, transgender students who play sports, this measure would create a bureaucratic nightmare for families, students and schools,” said Mary Bonauto of GLAD Law.
Bonauto said if the concern is about fairness in sports, the measure should take into consideration “the age of the students, the level of competition, whether the sport involves a lot of technique or a lot of contact.”
On the other side of the issue, Molly Curtis of Newburgh said she is a former high school athlete who has three younger sisters who are active in sports.
“I’m passionate about making sure that their competitions are fair to them and that their changing rooms are safe and comfortable and that their bathrooms are safe and comfortable,” she said.
The issue, which was the subject of a legislative hearing on Tuesday, is before lawmakers following efforts by a group called Protect Girls Sports in Maine to gather signatures to call for a public vote.
The measure requires schools to designate all sports teams as male, female or co-ed. It also requires public schools to maintain separate restrooms, locker rooms and shower rooms for girls and boys.
During the hearing, those who testified in support expressed frustration with Democrats who blocked a similar bill last session.
Tuesday’s hearing was part of the formal process for getting the measure to the November ballot. But that access is not yet assured because a pending lawsuit is challenging the validity of the signatures.
Regardless, the Campaign for Free and Fair Schools, which opposes the measure, showed up to criticize the effort as one fueled by out of state money that doesn’t align with Maine values.
Campaign manager David Farmer took direct aim at Richard Uihlein, the Illinois billionaire who donated $800,000 to pay signature collectors when the effort started in November.
“It would be reasonable to ask, why does this out of state billionaire care so much about Maine?” Farmer asked. “My opinion? He doesn’t. He cares about power and money and right-wing ideology. And to support that he’s willing to target kids. Maine kids. Our kids. To get what he wants.”
In response, Leyland Streiff, leader of Maine Girl Dads and organizer for the ballot committee, said Uihlein was one large donor, but that hundreds of Mainers worked on the signature campaign.
He said he’s not getting paid and neither are any of the people who testified Tuesday in support of the measure.
“We have people that are aligned to wanting to ensure that young children have their sex based civil rights exist in Maine and out of Maine,” he said.