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Arizona Gov. Ducey signed SB 1165, barring transgender girls from female school sports statewide

On March 30, 2022, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey signed SB 1165, the "Save Women's Sports Act," requiring public K-12 and college athletic teams to be designated by biological sex and barring transgender girls and women from female teams. The law passed the Senate 16-13 and the House 31-24 and overrode an existing Arizona Interscholastic Association policy that had accommodated transgender athletes.

Jurisdiction
Arizona
Location
Phoenix, Arizona

Abuses documented

Actors

On March 30, 2022, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey signed SB 1165, the "Save Women's Sports Act," into law, requiring K-12, community-college, and university athletic teams to be designated male, female, or coed based on biological sex and barring transgender girls and women from competing on female teams at any level of public education. The measure passed the Arizona Senate 16-13 and the House 31-24. It overrode an existing Arizona Interscholastic Association policy that had previously accommodated transgender athletes on a case-by-case basis.

The law singled out transgender students for categorical exclusion from a public benefit based on a protected characteristic, establishing a statewide bar administered through Arizona's public schools, community colleges, and universities. Ducey signed the bill the same day as a separate measure, SB 1138, restricting gender-affirming care for minors; that separate act is not recorded here.

Updates

2023-05-08 — Arizona attorney general declined to defend the law [4]

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes announced she would not defend SB 1165 against a legal challenge, citing her view that the ban discriminated against transgender students.

2024-09-09 — Ninth Circuit upheld a preliminary injunction [5]

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld a preliminary injunction barring enforcement of the ban against the two transgender plaintiffs who had sued, leaving the law unenforceable as to them while litigation continued.

2026-06-30 — Supreme Court upheld state transgender-athlete bans [6]

The U.S. Supreme Court, ruling in parallel challenges to Idaho and West Virginia bans, upheld state laws barring transgender athletes from female sports, strengthening the legal footing of Arizona's SB 1165.

2026-07-08 — Remaining Arizona challenge collapsed [7]

The last remaining legal challenge to SB 1165 ended when its sole remaining plaintiff withdrew, leaving the ban fully enforceable statewide.

Why we recorded this

Equal protection means government may not disadvantage people because of who they are. Arizona enacted a law barring transgender girls and women from female school sports teams at every level of public education, singling out a protected group for categorical exclusion and overriding an athletic-association policy that had accommodated them. This archive records when state policy targets people on the basis of a protected characteristic.

Sources

  1. ACLU of Arizona Reacts to Gov. Ducey Signing Anti-Trans Bill, SB 1165, Into Law — ACLU of Arizona primary accessed July 10, 2026
  2. SB 1165 — Save Women's Sports Act (enacted bill text) — Arizona State Legislature primary accessed July 10, 2026
  3. Arizona governor signs two bills impacting transgender minors — KOLD News 13 secondary accessed July 10, 2026
  4. Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes Won't Defend Anti-Trans Sports Law — Copper Courier secondary accessed July 10, 2026
  5. Ninth Circuit Upholds Injunction Barring Enforcement of Transgender Sports Ban — Liebert Cassidy Whitmore secondary accessed July 10, 2026
  6. Supreme Court upholds transgender athlete bans — Cronkite News secondary accessed July 10, 2026
  7. Challenge to Arizona's transgender school sports ban collapses as teen plaintiff withdraws — Arizona Mirror secondary accessed July 10, 2026

See also