ATLANTA — A Senate committee voted for a bill that would ban transgender K-12 students from participating in girls sports.

The measure, sponsored by Tyrone Republican Sen. Marty Harbin, is known as the Save Girls Sports Act which opponents say is blatant discrimination against transgender youth.

The bill bans transgender girls from competing in single-gender sporting events if it does not align with their gender at birth. Harbin said it is what “they’re born with at birth” that will determine what sports they can play.

“It’s important that we create a level playing ground for every young person to fairly compete,” he said Wednesday. “Unfortunately, boys have certain biological advantages, when it comes to sports. That makes it impossible competition to be fair if both genders are competing in the same sport.”

The legislation in the Senate is one of multiple bills introduced this session that seeks to disallow transgender athletes from playing in female sports and opens a path for litigation against schools that go against dividing school athletes by sex.

Proponents argue the will prevent male student athletes from taking a spot from a female student and potentially future scholarships. Although Harbin and an attorney for the Alliance Defending Freedom — a conservative Christian organization — could not name a similar instance in Georgia.

LGBTQ advocates and parents of transgender youth decried the measure, calling it “offensive and disgusting” and said it targets a population of vulnerable youth already at risk for increased bullying and suicidal tendencies.

Jen Slipakoff, a Kennesaw mother of a transgender girl, said there is a “misunderstanding about what trans athletes look like.” Slipakoff’s daughter plays sports at her private school in the state, she said.

“It’s not dangerous for my daughter to be on the same sports team as her girlfriends,” Slipakoff said. “She’s not taking the spot of another more deserving girl, as if my daughter deserves less-than. She’s not a threat.”

Rolend Behm, chair of the Georgia chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, testified before lawmakers that transgender youth have increased suicide-attempt rates and participation in sports provides a potential community for vulnerable students.

“Sports participation provides students with opportunities to develop a sense of belonging, connectedness; social support and connection are key protective factors against suicide,” he said.

Still, lawmakers voted to advance the measure, 5-3, to the disappointment of those who testified against it.

“I’m left wondering if she doesn’t belong on the boys team and she doesn’t belong on the girls team, where exactly do you think she belongs?” Slipakoff asked lawmakers. “Can you tell me she belongs anywhere? Or do you think that she doesn’t belong anywhere? Because that’s what passing this bill will tell her.”