A local candidate for state Senate has launched a campaign to prevent biological males who identify as transgender from competing against females in high school sports.

Gina Arena, a candidate for the 40th District, started the campaign called "Save Girls Sports."

This campaign comes as the Equal Rights Amendment will appear on the November ballot, which would add provisions to the state constitution, including protections against discrimination against ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, and sex, including sexual orientation, gender identity and pregnancy. It also covers reproductive health care and autonomy.

Now, lawn signs with the campaign name are up across the Lower Hudson Valley.

"I think, you know, girls work really hard, just as hard as boys, to get scholarships and play their sports. And why take that away from girls in this situation," says Arena.

Arena's opponent, Sen. Peter Harckham disagrees with the campaign.

He said the state and communities should be supporting the rights of transgender kids.

"This should be something we should be getting behind instead of trying to protect people's rights to discriminate against trans kids," he said.