BATON ROUGE, LA — Today, Independent Women’s Voice (IWV) applauds Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry for boldly standing with women and signing House Bill 608 the “Women’s Safety and Protection Act” into law. The bill was introduced by Representative Roger Wilder III and accumulated 79 co-sponsors, an overwhelming testament to the legislature’s commitment to standing with women. The Women’s Bill of Rights (WBOR) inspired legislation fortifies the definition of sex-based words, such as ‘woman’ and ‘man’, already used hundreds of times across state code. It also defines certain spaces that will be for females only moving forward.
Governor Landry was an early supporter of the Women’s Bill of Rights, championing the importance of the model while still serving as Louisiana’s Attorney General. Independent Women’s Voice and Independent Women’s Law Center (IWLC) in collaboration with the feminist organization Women’s Liberation Front (WoLF), first announced the Women’s Bill of Rights model in March 2022.
“The attack on women that we have seen taking place across our country has no place in the state of Louisiana. I am proud to sign House Bill 608 which protects women’s safety and reinforces the very definition of what it means to be a woman. Enough is enough. Louisiana will not stand idly by and allow biological men to take advantage of opportunities for women. We want women across the country to know that your privacy, safety, and opportunities are valued and will always be protected in Louisiana,” said Governor Jeff Landry. “I appreciate Independent Women’s Voice and Rep. Wilder’s hard work on this bill.”
Independent Women’s Voice Ambassador, Riley Gaines said, “Governor Landry has been a day one champion of women and our rights. As Attorney General he signed the Women’s Bill of Rights and promised to use his office to end misogynistic attempts to steal opportunities from women. It’s rare form for elected officials today to uphold their promises but today Governor Landry stands true to his word and Louisiana is better for it. I am grateful to all the legislators who sent the ‘Women’s Safety and Protection Act’ to his desk and to Governor Landry for making sure Louisiana women will never fall victim to men stealing their opportunities or spaces. This Women’s Bill of Rights inspired legislation ensures current and future generations of women aren’t discriminated against on the basis of their sex.”
“Biological males DO NOT belong in changing rooms or restrooms with women and little girls, and now, in Louisiana, it is against the law! This new law, the Women’s Safety and Protection Act, provides for the right to privacy and codifies, into law, the definitions of male and female” said Representative Roger Wilder and sponsor of House Bill 608. “No woman’s right to privacy should be contingent on someone else’s arbitrary beliefs or feelings about their “gender”. Louisiana will, as they say, “follow the science”.
Independent Women’s Law Center Director, May Mailman, said: “As a growing contingent of self-important elitists endanger and denigrate girls and women by stripping them of same-sex spaces, IWF celebrates Louisiana’s passage of the Women’s Safety and Protection Act. In defining terms like “girl” and “women” in state law, females gain the transparency they deserve. This bill constrains partisan activists parading as judges and bureaucrats from dissolving women’s protections by re-inventing the word “women” to include men. Louisiana’s women today solidify the legal existence and protections they fought hard to earn.”
Louisiana is the eighth state to implement the Women’s Bill of Rights definitions, helping to protect women’s privacy, safety, and equal opportunity and reinforcing that women shouldn’t be discriminated against. Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Tennessee have adopted similar legislation inspired by IWV’s Women’s Bill of Rights.
To read and sign the Women’s Bill of Rights, click HERE.
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Independent Women’s Voice fights for women by expanding support for policy solutions that aren’t just well intended, but actually enhance freedom, opportunities, and well-being.