ST. PAUL, Minn. – Proposed policies in school districts and statehouses, providing special privileges for transgender students, have sparked a great deal of controversy across the nation.

In most cases citizens, school officials and lawmakers are debating whether schools should allow transgender students to use the restroom and shower facilities of their choice, regardless of their natural biological gender.

But in Minnesota the debate goes even deeper, because school athletics are also affected.

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In December, the Minnesota State High School League, the governing body for high school sports, adopted a policy that provides a way for boys who consider themselves girls to play on girls sports teams. State law already allows girls to participate on boys sports teams.

Meanwhile, the Minneapolis school district has already adopted a transgender policy that allows students to use restroom and shower facilities of their choice, regardless of their biological gender, and allows transgender boys to play on girls sports teams.

The St. Paul district seems poised to adopt a very similar policy next week.

All of the above has prompted several state lawmakers to introduce bills in the state House and Senate that would prevent boys from playing on girls sports teams, and force schools to maintain single-sex restroom and shower facilities.

Both bills would allow schools to make special restroom and shower accommodations for transgender students, but not at the expense of the vast majority of students who are accustomed to a traditional degree of privacy and modesty.

The House version of the legislation – HF 1546 – is sponsored by state Rep. Tim Miller. The Senate version – SF 1543 – is sponsored by Sen. David Brown.

“We thank these legislators for coming forward to protect the rights of all students to decency, privacy and safety,” said Renee Doyle, president of Child Protection League Action, a Minnesota-based non-profit that supports the proposed legislation. “Our children are not guinea pigs, and we cannot allow them to be used as a social experiment.

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“CPLAction will be informing the public about the pending legislation and urging them to voice their support to legislators. We look forward to getting the word out that parents have a remedy they can support.”

The policy allowing transgender boys to play on girls sports teams has sparked a lot of outrage, according to Doyle.

The MSHSL policy encourages more than 500 member schools to allow boys who self-identify as girls to play on girls’ teams. Initial decisions will be made by school officials, but students who are denied will have the right to appeal through an independent hearing officer, according to a report from the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

The policy, which would go into effect in the 2015-16 school year, was approved by the MSHSL board by an 18-2 vote, according to the Star Tribune.

Many people believe the new policy could alter the competitive balance of girls sports, because adolescent boys, on the average, tend to be stronger and more athletic that girls.

“A female athlete may train for years to obtain a position on a school team, only to be removed from that position at the drop of a hat, because a male who is bigger, taller and stronger comes and takes her place,” Doyle said.

“It takes away from the very essence of girls athletics. If boys are allowed to play on girls teams, there is no such thing as a girls’ team anymore.”

Allowing boys to play on girls teams could also be dangerous for female athletes who lack the strength or stamina to safely compete with some boys, Doyle said.

“A boy who is 6-2 could have a significant physical advantage,” she said.

There seems to be broad public opposition among Minnesota residents to the transgender sports policy, as well as special transgender privileges in general.

In a poll conducted in early February by Public Opinion Strategies, 61 percent of respondents expressed disapproval of the transgender sports policy, while only 29 percent approved.

“By an overwhelming 76%-17% margin, Minnesota voters support legislation making sure that female athletic teams continue to be reserved for biological females, and making sure student bathrooms and locker rooms continue to be separated based on biological sex,” a memo from Public Opinion Strategies said.

“This proposed law enjoys widespread support across party lines with 94 percent of Republicans, 75 percent of independents and 64 percent of DFL (Democratic Farm Labor) voters in support.

“In fact, 81 percent of all voters disagree with the notion that a biological boy who self-identifies as a girl should be able to share bathrooms, locker rooms and showers that biological girls are using.”

Despite that type of public support, Doyle fears that the legislation may not become law.

She expects one version to pass the Republican-controlled House, but has doubts about the other version getting through the Democratic-controlled Senate. Doyle suspects that the Senate leadership may keep it from coming to a vote, so Democratic senators won’t feel pressured to support it.

Even if a version of the bill gained full legislative approval, Doyle would expect Gov. Mark Dayton, a Democrat, to veto it.

“When Dayton was running, he said he didn’t think the (transgender) sports policy was very wise, but as soon as he was elected he said those of us who oppose this sort of policy are hate-mongers,” Doyle said. “We’re pretty sure he would veto it.”