The Kansas Legislature passed a bill on Tuesday defining “male” and “female” based on biological sex at birth for purposes of single-sex spaces such as public restrooms, athletic teams and dormitories. Oklahoma is on a similar path to signing its own curated bill protecting women’s rights.
The Senate approved on a 28-12 vote, handing the bill off to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly.
Talk about an actual erasure of women – mainstream media outlets and opponents have dubbed the bill the “Transgender Bathroom Bill,” and the “Bathroom Bill instead of Senate Bill 180’s initial name, the “Women’s Bill of Rights.”
“The Women’s Bill of Rights protects the right to privacy and safety for females in restrooms, domestic violence shelters, rape crisis centers, prisons, locker rooms, and other areas where biology, safety, and/or privacy are involved,” said the House Republican leadership in a statement.
Those in favor of the bill include 12-time NCAA All-American swimmer Riley Gaines, who competed against male-born swimmer Lia Thomas during the 2022 NCAA Division I championships.
“The leadership of Kansan politicians is a model for the rest of the country to follow,” said Gaines. “They are unafraid to codify in law what it means to be a woman. I applaud all the state senators and state representatives for their leadership and commitment on this issue and hope other states follow suit moving forward.”
Lauren Bone, attorney and policy advisor for the Women’s Liberation Front, said that opponents want to paint the bill as “anti-LGBT, but lesbian and bisexual women are disproportionately represented where female-only housing is most critical, such as homeless shelters and prisons.”
“This is why a feminist nonprofit like WoLF teamed up with IWV to write the Women’s Bill of Rights; so that laws protecting them and all marginalized women cannot be changed outside of the democratic process,” she said.
We will be waiting on the sidelines to see if Gov. Kelly makes the right choice.
Add comment