Rep. Davanzo supports ‘Dads Defending Daughters’ bill on women’s sports participation

The Smithton Republican is one of the authors of the House Bill that is awaiting consideration in the Senate.

By the MVI

A Valley lawmaker is among a group of state legislators, many of whom are also dads, calling on House Democrats and Gov. Josh Shapiro to “do the right thing and act now to protect the rights of all the Commonwealth’s daughters to compete on a level playing field.”

State Rep. Eric Davanzo, R-Smithton, and Reps. Clint Owlett, R-Tioga/Bradford, Joe D’Orsie, R-York, Jonathan Fritz, R-Susquehanna/ Wayne, and Joe Hamm, R-Lycoming/Sullivan, are authors of the “Dads Defending Daughters” bill. They joined fellow lawmakers, students and parents for a Capitol press conference Wednesday to advocate for the legislation that would stop biological males from competing in women’s sports.

Speakers rallying support for the bill included Frank Murphy, chair of Athletes for America Coalition; Lily Williams, former Hempfield School District (Lancaster County) student athlete; and Paula Scanlan, senior fellow at the American Principles Project and former Division 1 swimmer.

“This has never been about hate, or excluding people from sports, but rather, my mission is to protect the opportunities that have always been intended for girls,” said Davanzo. “The governor likes to label anyone who thinks this way as ‘radical.’ But we have to move away from petty name calling and actually govern and to me, that means having the strength to take a stand on behalf of Pennsylvania’s young women.”

“We’ve wasted far too much time on what should be a commonsense vote for any logical person in the Legislature,” said Owlett. “There are clear political reasons for the ongoing legislative gymnastics being played by majority House Democrats to avoid a vote on this bill. Supporting our daughters and ensuring they have the opportunity to compete on a level playing field should NEVER be a partisan issue.”

House Bill 1849 mirrors the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, which would require public school entities and public institutions of higher education to ensure their sports activities are designated as male, female or coed, and expressly prohibits biological males from competing in teams or sports designated for females. This bill would take effect immediately.

House Bills 1849 (Dads Defending Daughters) and 158 (Fairness in Women’s Sports Act) are in the House Education Committee awaiting consideration. Senate Bill 9, the Senate version of the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, was also initially assigned to the House Education Committee but when lawmakers attempted to force the bill out of committee via a discharge resolution, Democrat leaders re-referred the bill to the House Health Committee. Earlier Wednesday, just prior to the news conference, the bill was referred again, this time to the House Judiciary Committee to avoid a second discharge petition on the bill.

Lawmakers and advocates offered the following statements calling for action on legislation to ensure the rights of female athletes in the Commonwealth.

“Potential is just potential until you do something. So dads, we’re going to do something so we can be something. When we be something, we can have something. And what we’re going to have is our daughters back in the game. Because we’re going to lead the way; it’s our responsibility,” said Murphy, chair of Athletes for America Coalition and a father of two daughters.

Williams, a former Hempfield School District student athlete, said, “It is not hate to tell the truth. It is not cruelty to believe that women and girls deserve fair competition. And it is not intolerance to want women – your daughters – to be safe and protected in locker rooms and bathrooms.”

“Every moment during this experience I waited for someone at the University of Pennsylvania to step in and do the right thing. I waited for our sports league, the Ivy League, to step in and do the right thing. I waited for someone at the NCAA to step in and do the right thing. In all this process of waiting, I realized the burden to speak out against this was on us, the female athletes,” added Scanlan, the former Division I swimmer. “I spoke out for the next generation. If even one girl is made uncomfortable in a locker room or is displaced by a male athlete, we have failed them.”

D’Orise said, “At the very moment we were holding this press conference to rally the dads of the Commonwealth to protect their daughters, House Democrats voted yet again to re-refer the Save Women’s Sports Act to delay a vote. My 7-year-old daughter deserves more than political games and stall tactics.”

“Sixty-six girls have lost medals or competitive placement since 2020 in Pennsylvania due to biological males invading their space in sports,” said Fritz. “This is not conjecture, nor is it about politics. This is simply doing what is right. We cannot just stand by and let this woke movement, supported by Gov. Josh Shapiro, deny our female athletes of fairness, dignity and safety.”

Hamm said, “As a dad of two daughters, it is always the right time to stand up for and defend our daughters across the Commonwealth. To hear the testimony of the young female athletes today affirms my stance on this issue. Girls cannot be made to feel uncomfortable or undervalued in their own sport. We need to pass this commonsense legislation now to protect Pennsylvania girls.”

The Dads Defending Daughters group stated, “This issue has broad bipartisan support across the state and across parties. Five Democrats in the state Senate supported Senate Bill 9 when it was adopted by a 32-18 vote in early May. It’s time for Democrats to stop dodging their responsibilities and defend our daughters on the track or field, in the pool and on the court.”