HELENA, MT — Today, Independent Women, Alliance Defending Freedom, and the Montana Family Foundation are thrilled to celebrate Montana Governor Greg Gianforte for signing House Bill 121 and House Bill 300 into state law—further advancing Montana’s long-term commitment to standing with women. Passing with bipartisan support, House Bill 121 preserves the legal existence of women as distinct from men and safeguards the existence of single-sex spaces, including domestic violence shelters, locker rooms, correctional facilities, and sleeping quarters. House Bill 300 importantly ensures women and girls in Montana never have to face discrimination for wanting to have their own sports and spaces. It restores biological reality and protects sex-based rights by recognizing that there are only two sexes, male and female.
The package of bills ensures Montana’s laws can’t be twisted by judges or unelected bureaucrats and strengthens Montana’s commitment to ensure women’s rights are protected and preserved in perpetuity.
Earlier this year, Riley Gaines, Alliance Defending Freedom, the Montana Family Foundation, and Independent Women all testified before the Montana Legislature in support of HB 121 and expressed support for HB 300. Gaines shared her experiences as a victim of an ideology that forced her to compete with and give up her trophy to male swimmer Lia Thomas while Alliance Defending Freedom, the Montana Family Foundation, and Independent Women emphasized the legal importance of the bills and how they are necessary to safeguard women’s sex-based rights.
Governor Gianforte’s signature helps to ensure that Montana women and girls are guaranteed the rights to privacy, safety, and equal opportunity.
“Standing alongside our partners in Montana and across the country, I am proud to safeguard privacy and security for women and girls – because a man shouldn’t be in a women’s restroom, shouldn’t be in a women’s shower room, and shouldn’t be housed in a women’s prison. Today, we’re maintaining equal opportunity for all Americans, protecting women and girls and their right to safe and separate facilities and activities,” said Governor Gianfortre.
“Under Governor Gianforte’s leadership, Montana has prioritized the preservation of women’s safety and opportunities whether it be in athletics or in single-sex spaces. The legislature’s passage of House Bill 121 and House Bill 300 sends a clear message that the legislature and the Gianforte administration stand with over half a million Montana women and girls. I was glad to support this bill through my testimony, and it is an even greater honor to see yet another state pass such critical legislation!” said Riley Gaines, host of Outkick’s Gaines for Girls podcast.
“Governor Gianforte’s signing of HB 121 and HB 300 sends a clear message: Montana stands for the privacy, dignity, and safety of women and children. This law is not about hate or exclusion—it’s about protecting vulnerable spaces and upholding fairness and respect. I’ve fought for years against radical forces that seek to erode these protections, and today, Montana has drawn a firm line in defense of our values,” said Rep. Kerri Seekins-Crowe (Montana HD39) and bill sponsor of HB121 and HB300.
“With Governor Gianforte signing House Bill 121 and House Bill 300 into law, the rights of women and girls in Montana are safeguarded against the efforts to legally eradicate the difference between the sexes. This law tells Montana girls that their privacy, safety, and well-being matter, and they are deserving of protection. We applaud the efforts of our coalition partners, Alliance Defending Freedom and the Montana Family Foundation, for their dedication and determination to help get this bill passed,” said Beth Parlato, senior legal advisor for Independent Women.
“Montana is right to protect the privacy, safety, and dignity of women and girls, and to ensure that female athletes of all ages continue to have a fair and level playing field. Letting men intrude into women’s spaces and on their sports teams is an invasion of privacy, a threat to their safety, and a denial of the real biological differences between the sexes. ADF commends Rep. Kerri-Seekins Crowe, Sen. John Fuller, Speaker Brandon Ler, and Senate President Matt Regier for their leadership in passing these critical bills. We also thank the Independent Women’s Forum and the Montana Family Foundation for their work in this effort. By signing this legislation into law, Gov. Gianforte is protecting Montanans for generations to come,” said Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Matt Sharp, director of the ADF Center for Public Policy.
“The Montana Family Foundation applauds the Montana Legislature for the passage of HB 300 and HB 121 which represent a critical step in protecting the safety, dignity, and privacy of women and girls across Montana. These bills reinforce the fundamental right of females to compete fairly in athletics and to have access to private restrooms, locker rooms, and sleeping quarters, free from unnecessary intrusion. By ensuring that biological distinctions are upheld in educational and public spaces, we are safeguarding opportunities for women and maintaining essential protections for Montana families. The Montana Family Foundation thanks the sponsor of these bills, Representative Kerri Seekins-Crowe (HD-39) for bringing these measures, which reflect our state’s commitment to common sense, fairness, and the well-being of future generations,” said Jeff Lasloffy, President & CEO of the Montana Family Foundation.
Independent Women is proud of its work to safeguard the rights of Montanan women under both state and federal law, including through the launch of the Riley Gaines Stand With Women Scorecard in 2024. The Scorecard, a first-of-its-kind resource that tells every American the elected leaders who stand with women and those who do not, received the support of “Riley Gaines Approved” Montana U.S. Senator Tim Sheehy, then candidate for U.S. Senate.
Independent Women also led the Our Bodies, Our Sports “Take Back Title IX” Summer 2024 Bus Tour throughout Montana on its landmark 30 states in 30 days tour. The bus stopped for a rally-style event featuring Riley Gaines and former U.S. Representative Tulsi Gabbard in Whitefish, Montana, building widespread support to protect women’s sports and equal opportunity in the state.
Montana joins Kansas, Tennessee, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Arkansas, Alabama, Iowa, Indiana, West Virginia, Wyoming, and South Dakota in adopting legislation inspired by Independent Women’s sex-definition model, impacting the lives of over 23 million women and girls.
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