As this is a state law, it'll quite likely be challenged in the higher courts and dealt with as many laws like this have, but whatever the
state representative said (remember these are politicians with possibly little knowledge of how it works on the ground), there been things in place for decades to determine sex in schools. I had to do it in the '90s, many states require physicals for children to compete in school sports and for the boys, that does sometimes include a scrotal check. Ever heard of 'turn your head and cough'?
And, except for very small high schools, it isn't about who 'deserves' to play sports, it's about who makes the team and some schools have rules about who can even try to be on what teams. I actually have far more issues with the rules, sometimes laws, that require certain academic attainment to do extra curricular activities or to be allowed to compete, but that's just me. Yes, sometimes that means those on certain medications for certain conditions can't compete either. None of this is about "deserves".
Also Exactly but if we are going to be specific this is aimed at children, meaning at the oldest 16. As this is about Florida schools, it actually will mean the oldest for high school could be 19 and collegiate can be any age.
However for those who aren't comfortable doing that I don't think they should be forced to.
Why should someone trained for single sex sports be forced to be comfortable competing mixed sex?
I benefited from legally being protected to compete mixed sex in school in the US when there was no girls' option for the sport involved, but I'm also aware that the schools have to put in additional measures for safeguarding to do this - something not all school districts can afford to do well - and it did put me and the boys I competed against sometimes in uncomfortable positions.
Have you ever competed mixed sex ASugarr? I wrestled mixed sex in school, and yes, even with barely pubescent boys there is a significant difference. Yes, some girls can beat some boys, but girl needs to train differently to compete with boys compared to against other girls in order to do win and also to prevent injury -- you can't just throw a female child who has never competed against someone male and expect good results. There are greater risks that must be considered and should be consented to. I support mixed sex being an option, but not being made mandatory.
17 year old me had the illustrious experience of having an ~14 year old boy my weight throw me several meters across the room and into the thankfully padded wall - and he was a scrawny little barely pubescent thing as the pair of us were both 100 pounds soaking wet. In some sports, there is a severe disadvantage that has be accepted and specifically trained for and in some sports, like powerlifting which has solidly kept its single sex rules, there is no way without significant hormones involved for a female to outcompete a male of the same weight class and training.
And no, we never changed in front of each other - I wasn't even allowed in the boys' locker room without two adults as escort because putting a 100 pound female teenager in a locker room with a couple dozen boys, some of which hated my guts and nearly all of them significantly larger than me, would have been fucking stupid no matter what I thought of myself at the time -- but I imagine in these arguments, female teens like I was aren't who is being considered vulnerable. I'm glad my school knew otherwise and that there are more options for girls to compete against other girls in contact sports than there used to be.