A new gender identity law which would allow those born as boys and girls to play and compete on their  preferred gender’s sports teams, has been proposed in the California State legislature.

Under the proposed bill, a girl who claims a male “gender identity” would essentially have the right to try out for a boy’s sports team or vice versa. The bill also requires that the girl be given access to the facilities of an all-male team, such as a locker room if her preferred ‘gender identity’ is male.

The proposal came just days after a law was passed requiring California schools to teach students about gay historical figures.

The proposal would require that a pupil be permitted to participate in single-sex school programs, activities, and facilities, including athletic teams and competitions, consistent with his or her gender identity, irrespective of the sex listed on the pupil’s official records.

The Bill has been withdrawn for the time being. Transgender advocates say this is in order to give their campaigners more time to get support for the proposal.

Two of the main groups behind the proposal, the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), Equality California (EQCA), and the Transgender Law Center (TLC) released a statement saying that they had urged Assemblyman Ammiano “to hold off on the bill this year because we want the opportunity to do more education with school districts and officials”.

Spokespersons for the groups said that they hoped that the bill would be moved later this year.