On Tuesday, February 13, Representative Anne Dauphanais (R – 44th District) quietly added a press conference to the General Assembly’s calendar for today, February 14.
She announced that she is proposing a “Save Women’s Sports” bill and school climate legislation requiring schools to out transgender youth. She called on the Education Committee to hold a public hearing. Standing alongside her were Senator Rob Sampson and Representatives Gale Mastrofrancesco, Donna Veach, Karen Reddington-Hughes, Mark Anderson, and Mitch Bolinsky.
The Project spoke with the journalists in the room after the press conference and offered this statement:
Regarding the Save Women’s Sports Act:
Laws like these are motivated by a partisan desire to harm a specific segment of the population. The Department of Justice has been clear on these so-called “Save Women’s Sports Acts”: they are unconstitutional. It’s curious that Representative Dauphinais and Senator Sampson, both self-described proponents of low taxes, are pushing what will be a costly, unproductive agenda on Connecticut’s taxpayers.
If CT truly wants to support girls’ sports, they would provide more funding, create more opportunities to play, and enact stronger laws that protect female athletes from harassment and abuse—not banning transgender youth from participating in school sports with their peers.
Regarding the School Climate Proposal:
As a parent, and like any parent, I want my child to share things with me and to know what’s happening in their life. And I want to know that, even when they may not be ready to share with me, that they have the support they need at school. Outing students without their consent forces schools to intrude on family relationships like mine, taking away opportunities for important family conversations. Who invites the government to their dinner table? No one. This invitation, particularly when a family is not ready for it, does real harm to transgender youth – putting them at risk of abuse, homelessness, and human trafficking. These sorts of outcomes can be a life-long burden on government and society.
It is proven that safe and supportive schools lead to positive academic outcomes and open up future economic opportunities for youth. This is what schools aim to do – prepare youth for a lifetime of happiness, health, and stability. This bill, which is discrimination ironically cloaked as anti-bullying legislation, would force schools into a burdensome process of accommodating the personal, moral, and religious concerns of every parent, taking precious time away from actually educating children.
Coverage of this press conference appears in The Courant and CTMirror. The Project will be keeping an eye on the Education Committee and will share updates if necessary. In the meantime, enjoy this quote from the Mirror article:
“I have not examined them in detail, but we are not looking to enact anything in Connecticut
Senate President Pro Tem Martin Looney, D-New Haven
which is part of a right wing agenda nationally.”