CHARLESTON, WV — Today, Independent Women’s Voice (IWV) celebrates West Virginia Attorney General and gubernatorial candidate Patrick Morrisey for his Stand With Women Commitment and support of legislation that preserves women’s equal opportunities and single-sex spaces, like Independent Women’s Voice’s Women’s Bill of Rights (WBOR), which would fortify the definitions of sex-based terms, like ‘woman’ and ‘man’ used in state law.
By signing IWV’s Stand With Women Commitment today, Attorney General Morrisey promises “to uphold legislation that preserves female opportunities and private spaces.”
Attorney General Morrisey was joined by Independent Women’s Voice Ambassador Riley Gaines for a ceremonial signing and press conference celebrating his commitment to stand with women.
West Virginia Attorney General Morrisey said, “I’m honored to sign Independent Women’s Voice’s Stand With Women Commitment today joined by fearless advocate Riley Gaines. Riley knows firsthand that the integrity of girls’ sports and the safety of all women is under attack by the woke-Left. It’s time to stand up for what’s right, fair and just and continue fighting to protect our young girls and women across the state. That’s why I’m working to overturn the Fourth Circuit decision so that we can protect our young women and prevent discrimination on the basis of sex.”
Independent Women’s Voice Ambassador Riley Gaines said, “General Morrisey is sending a clear message that he will always prioritize women’s rights in West Virginia. With his signing, West Virginians now know who is pro-woman, pro-science, and will fight for policies that prevent sex discrimination and preserve women’s rights, safety, and opportunities. Today, I am honored to stand beside General Morrisey as he signs the Stand with Women Commitment.”
Gaines added, “Morrisey has consistently advocated for women and girls to have access to womens-only sports and spaces. And something near and dear to my heart, he was a day-one supporter of the Independent Women’s Voices Women’s Bill of Rights when it first launched in 2022. The Women’s Bill of Rights is a perfect example of what this commitment addresses. I was deeply disappointed that the West Virginia Legislature allowed the legislation to define ‘woman’ die this past session, and I hope Governor Justice will include it in the call for a special session this spring so the nearly 1 million women in West Virginia don’t have to fear their rights being stripped away.”
Women’s Bill of Rights model legislation, first announced in March 2022, was drafted by Independent Women’s Voice and Independent Women’s Law Center (IWLC) in collaboration with the feminist organization Women’s Liberation Front (WoLF).
Women’s Bill of Rights-inspired legislation has gained vast support in Congress, among the public, various organizations and groups across the political spectrum, and is law in Kansas, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Idaho, and moving through the legislatures in Alabama, Louisiana, Iowa, and Mississippi this session.
Attorneys general taking a stand for women and for the continued legal relevance of biological sex include: Attorney General Lynn Fitch of Mississippi, Attorney General Steve Marshall of Alabama, Attorney General Treg Taylor of Alaska, Attorney General Tim Griffin of Arkansas, Attorney General Raul Labrador of Idaho, Attorney General Brenna Bird of Iowa, Attorney General Daniel Cameron of Kentucky, Attorney General Austin Knudsen of Montana, Attorney General Mike Hilgers of Nebraska, Attorney General Alan Wilson of South Carolina, Attorney General Marty Jackley of South Dakota, Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti of Tennessee, Attorney General Ken Paxton of Texas, Attorney General Sean Reyes of Utah, and Attorney General Andrew Bailey of Missouri.
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