Arizona lawmakers have sparked controversy with Senate Bill 1628, aiming to replace the word "gender" with "sex" in state law, exclusively defined as male or female based on reproductive characteristics. According to a report by Phoenix New Times, the bill would impact how gender-nonconforming individuals, including those who are intersex, are recognized and treated under the law. Lisa Bivens, speaking against the bill, shared the nuanced challenges of determining her daughter's sex due to an endocrine issue, which this legislation threatens to simplify to a binary choice.
Despite these concerns, GOP lawmakers have pushed forward, with Sen. Teresa Martinez suggesting that biological sex is not subject to interpretation. Rep. John Gillette and Committee Chair Selina Bliss reaffirmed their stance that humans have only XX or XY chromosomes, despite medical evidence to the contrary. The bill also seeks to protect cisgender women in private spaces and athletic activities, a notion supported by Shelli Boggs from conservative Moms for America, as reported by the Phoenix New Times. Christina Narsi of the Independent Women’s Network defined the bill as a necessary step against "judicial activism," while LGBTQ advocacy organizations have criticized it as an attempt to legislate trans and nonbinary people out of existence.
In a similar vein, Arizona Republicans have proposed a bill mandating that health care providers offering gender-affirming care also provide or pay for detransition-related health care. This legislation stems from a push by Sen. Janae Shamp, who has criticized gender-affirming procedures as harmful. Chloe Cole, who detransitioned, supports this narrative, as she told the Phoenix New Times, echoing the GOP's message about regret surrounding transition procedures.
LGBTQ advocates, however, have condemned this tactic, with the Human Rights Campaign's Cathryn Oakley dismissing the bill as "unnecessary and gratuitous." The spotlight on detransitioners, according to Oakley, serves to unjustly scrutinize the already supported health care for trans individuals. Bridget Sharpe, HRC's Arizona director, reinforced this stance, noting that care for detransitioning individuals aligns with affirming someone’s gender and accusing Republicans of weaponizing rare cases as scare tactics. The care for people who detransition includes established medical and social support practices.
Both bills have faced criticism from Democrats and are likely to encounter a veto from Gov. Katie Hobbs, who has pledged to reject anti-LGBTQ legislation. However, the GOP holds a slim majority in the House, leading to a tension-filled landscape for LGBTQ rights in Arizona.
