Why HB 207 and HB 268 Matter in Protecting Female Athletes
*I am mostly on Substack now!
As the Hawai’i state contact for Women’s Declaration International (WDI), I’ve been actively engaging with state representatives to advocate for HB 207 and HB 268, two critical bills that would protect fairness in women’s sports by ensuring that female athletes compete on a level playing field.
These bills are essential to preserving sex-based categories in athletics, in line with Title IX and international women’s rights protections. Allowing male athletes to compete in women’s sports erodes the opportunities that generations of women have fought for.
I have submitted testimony in support of these bills, urging lawmakers to uphold fairness and protect the integrity of women’s sports in Hawai’i. If we do not act now, we risk losing these hard-won rights.
I encourage everyone who values fairness in competition to reach out to your representatives and voice your support for HB 207 and HB 268. No matter where you are from, you can join almost 40,000 people from 160 countries and 500 organizations by signing the declaration for women’s sex based rights here.
Hawaii House Bills 207 and 268, introduced during the 2025 Regular Session, both address the organization of school sports with a focus on sex and fair play.
House Bill 207: This bill proposes that school sports teams be designated based on sex, aiming to promote gender equality in athletics. The bill was introduced on January 16, 2025, and subsequently referred to the House Education (EDN), Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs (JHA), and Finance (FIN) committees on January 21, 2025.
House Bill 268: Similar in intent, HB 268 requires the Department of Education to categorize athletic teams according to the biological sex. This measure was introduced on January 17, 2025, and referred to the same committees—EDN, JHA, and FIN—on January 21, 2025.
Jaclynn Joyce 