State Representatives Roman Kozak and Joshua D. Kail are urging Pennsylvanians to support the “Defending Our Daughters” campaign, which aims to advocate for fairness in women’s sports across the state. The campaign encourages residents to sign the “I Believe” promise, emphasizing the rights of girls to compete on equal terms, pursue scholarships, and have access to private locker rooms without male presence.
The initiative highlights what organizers describe as a shared responsibility among all Pennsylvanians and state leaders to actively protect 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 added his perspective: “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.”
The online version of the “I Believe” promise can be found at defendingdaughters.com. Physical copies are available at Kozak’s office in Chippewa Township Municipal Building as well as Kail’s offices in Beaver and Atlasburg. The signatures collected will be presented to Governor Josh Shapiro and House leaders with the aim of prompting legislative action within the year.
In recent months, legislative efforts related to women’s sports have stalled in committee stages within the House of Representatives. Senate Bill 9 passed with bipartisan support in May but has since been moved between committees—first referred to Education, then Health, now Judiciary—to avoid discharge resolutions that would require a vote on the measure. Similarly, House Bills 158 and 1849 were redirected from Education Committee to Judiciary Committee last December under similar circumstances.
Representatives Kozak (14th District) and Kail (15th Legislative District) continue their advocacy as these bills await further consideration.
