Pennsylvania State Representatives Roman Kozak and Joshua D. Kail have launched the “Defending Our Daughters” campaign to advocate for fairness in women’s sports across the state. The initiative encourages residents to sign the “I Believe” promise, which supports female athletes’ rights to a safe and equitable playing field, opportunities for competition, scholarships, and private locker rooms.
The campaign emphasizes the responsibility of all Pennsylvanians, particularly state leaders, to actively support and defend female athletes. According to Kozak, “Female athletes train for years to earn roster spots, records, scholarships and championships. Those opportunities can only exist when competition is fair and rules are clear. Since 2020, 66 girls in Pennsylvania have had medals or placements stolen from them by boys. One is too many, but 66 is a travesty. All those athletes deserve better, and the women and girls of Pennsylvania deserve better.”
Kail stated: “For my daughters, sports are a great audition for life; they learn resilience, discipline, teamwork and fair play. Allowing biological males to play in girls’ sports is insane and will ruin that forum for our daughters. I won’t stand idly by and watch girls’ sports become dangerous and be destroyed by ludicrous public policy,” said Kail. “I hope to see residents in Beaver and Washington counties join me in this worthwhile fight.”
Residents can sign the promise online at defendingdaughters.com or obtain hard copies at Kozak’s office in Chippewa Township Municipal Building as well as Kail’s offices in Beaver and Atlasburg. The collected signatures will be shared with Governor Josh Shapiro and House leadership as part of ongoing efforts on this issue.
Legislative action has stalled on related bills this session. Senate Bill 9 passed with bipartisan support but was shifted among House committees rather than coming up for a vote; House Bills 158 and 1849 faced similar delays after being moved between committees.
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