Charleston, WV — Today, Independent Women is thrilled to celebrate West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey’s introduction of the “The Riley Gaines Act ” in West Virginia. The legislation, modeled off Independent Women’s Stand with Women legislation, will fortify the definitions of “male” and “female” terms in law, protect the existence of women’s single-sex spaces, such as locker rooms, rape crisis centers, dormitories, and prisons, and protect the integrity of sex-based data collection.
Governor Morrisey announced the Riley Gaines Act during his State of the State Address and called on the legislature to pass the bill after they failed to pass similar legislation last year. His announcement delivers on the promise he made to West Virginians as a candidate for Governor when he signed Independent Women’s Stand With Women Commitment which promises to “support legislation that preserves women’s equal opportunities and single-sex spaces”. He was joined by Independent Women Ambassador Riley Gaines and middle school track and field athlete Emmy Salerno last year for the commitment signing.
Governor Morrisey understands that allowing males to self-identify into women’s single-sex spaces puts the burden on young girls and women to stand up for their own privacy and safety. In Shinnston, West Virginia, for instance, a group of five middle school girls took a stand and refused to compete against a male during their shot-put track and field championships in April 2023. The young female athletes, including Emmy Salerno, joined Independent Women in Charleston, West Virginia, as a part of the Our Bodies, Our Sports “Take Back Title IX” Summer 2024 Bus Tour to highlight the need for policymakers to preserve single-sex spaces..
Salerno also joined Governor Morrisey as a special guest during his State of the State address.
The introduction follows national momentum on this issue on the heels of Independent Women’s “Stand With Women” initiative driving sweeping pro-woman election victories across the country, including U.S. House bipartisan passage of the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, paving the way for its Senate companion, and President Trump’s day-one executive order to restore clarity on the definitions of “male” and “female,” as well as his executive order to keep men out of women’s sports.
Governor Morrisey said, “Riley Gaines is the national leader in the fight to protect women’s sports. In West Virginia, we must honor her courage by passing the Riley Gaines Act, which defines sex-based terms and protects women-only spaces like locker rooms. We are grateful for Riley’s and Independent Women’s support on this initiative.”
“I am honored to lend my name to such important legislation. Over the past few years, I have devoted my life to advocating for women’s sex-based rights, including in West Virginia. I was sad when similar legislation failed last year but encouraged when Gov. Morrisey made this a central part of his promise to West Virginians,” said Riley Gaines, ambassador for Independent Women. “Gov. Morrisey led West Virginia as a tenacious Attorney General who never shied away from standing with women, even when it wasn’t the popular thing to do. As a candidate for Governor, he didn’t blink at the opportunity to sign the Stand with Women Commitment and publicly declare he would ‘support legislation that preserves women’s equal opportunities and single-sex spaces’ as Governor. Not only is he supporting this legislation, he’s prioritizing it. Thank you, Governor Morrisey, for ensuring West Virginia defines ‘woman’ and the sex-based rights of all West Virginians is codified in law. This is the year to get it done. Let’s go!”
Kansas, Tennessee, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Arkansas, Alabama, and soon to be Montana have adopted legislation inspired by Independent Women’s sex-definition model, impacting the lives of over 17.4 million women and girls.
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