PA Legislature sends bill protecting fairness in women's sports to governor
The following quote may be attributed to Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Christiana Kiefer regarding the Pennsylvania Legislature’s passage Wednesday of the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act (HB 972), a bill that protects opportunities for women and girls in athletics by ensuring they are not forced to compete against males playing on women’s sports teams:
“Women and girls deserve to compete on a level playing field. When the law ignores biological reality, female athletes lose medals, podium spots, public recognition, and opportunities to compete. We’ve seen increasing examples across the country of males dominating girls’ athletic competitions when competing as females. In fact, one of the most well-known examples is in Pennsylvania, where a male swimmer competed on the University of Pennsylvania women’s swim team, capturing a national championship and shattering female swim records. Since 2020, 18 states have enacted protections for female athletes, and we commend the Pennsylvania Legislature for its work to become the next. We hope, in light of this nationwide movement to preserve fair athletic competition, that Gov. Wolf will sign the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act into law so women and girls will not continue to face these lost opportunities in Pennsylvania.”
- Pronunciation guide: Kiefer (KEE’-fur)
Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization committed to protecting religious freedom, free speech, parental rights, and the sanctity of life.
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ABOUT Christiana Kiefer
Christiana Kiefer serves as senior counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom, where she is a key member of the Center for Conscience Initiatives. Since joining ADF in 2012, Kiefer has worked to protect women's and girls' sports and has defended the bodily privacy rights of students. She has also worked to protect the constitutionally protected freedom of churches, Christian schools, and Christian ministries to exercise their faith without government interference. Kiefer earned her J.D. in 2010 from Oak Brook College of Law and Government Policy, where she graduated first in her class and served as a teaching assistant in criminal law. Also in 2010, Kiefer completed the ADF leadership development program to become a Blackstone Fellow. She is admitted to the state bar of California, the U.S. Supreme Court, and numerous federal district and appellate courts.