LINCOLN, NE — Today, Independent Women applauds the passage of LB89, the Stand with Women Act, out of the Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee. Independent Women Ambassador Hannah Holtmeier and Independent Women’s Network Lincoln, Nebraska Chapter Member Melissa Money-Beecher testified in support of the Nebraska Stand With Women Act, which, if passed, would codify an earlier Women’s Bill of Rights executive order by Governor Jim Pillen to fortify definitions of common sex-based words such as ‘male’ and ‘female.’ The legislation, introduced by Nebraska State Senator Kathleen Kauth (R-31), would define words already in use throughout 149 Nebraska state statutes and safeguard the existence of single-sex spaces and opportunities—including dormitories, athletics, locker rooms, rape crisis centers, and prisons.
If passed, the Nebraska Stand With Women Act would:
- Define common sex-based terms, such as ‘woman,’ ‘man’, ‘female,’ and ‘male,’ for purposes of state administrative law; and
- Protect single-sex spaces and opportunities.
LB89 passed out of committee on a 5-3 vote. Independent Women’s Voice appreciates the leadership of Senators Rita Sanders, Dan McKeon, Dan Lonowski, Bob Andersen, and Dave Wordekemper for voting it out of committee and standing with women.
Testimony in support of the Stand with Women Act was also submitted by:
- Beth Parlato, senior legal advisor for Independent Women
- Riley Gaines, host of OutKick’s “Gaines for Girls” podcast;
- Abigail New, data coordinator for Independent Women, who originally hails from Omaha, Nebraska;
- Payton McNabb, an Independent Women ambassador and former high school volleyball player, who now suffers permanent injury as the result of a spike by a male competing on an opposing women’s volleyball team;
- Kim Russell, an Independent Women ambassador and former Head Women’s Lacrosse Coach at Oberlin College;
- Amie Ichikawa, an Independent Women ambassador and former inmate at Central California Women’s Facility;
- Lauren Miller, an Independent Women ambassador and current pro-golfer, who lost a first-place tournament title to male golfer Hailey Davidson;
- Hannah Arnold, an Independent Women ambassador and a current award-winning pro-golfer;
- Amy Olson, an Independent Women ambassador and 10-year LPGA veteran golfer;
- Allison Coghan, an Independent Women ambassador and Westenbroek v. Kappa Kappa Gamma plaintiff;
- Maddie Ramar, an Independent Women ambassador and Westenbroek v. Kappa Kappa Gamma plaintiff; and
- Jaylyn Westenbroek, an Independent Women ambassador and Westenbroek v. Kappa Kappa Gamma plaintiff.
A full list of supportive quotes from the above women in their written testimony submissions can be found here.
Hannah Holtmeier, an Independent Women ambassador, senior at the University of Nebraska Lincoln, and Westenbroek v. Kappa Kappa Gamma plaintiff emphasized the need for Nebraska to codify male and female terms to ensure women’s privacy and safety aren’t violated: “In the fall of 2022, my sorority sisters and I were forced into a situation that I can confidently say none of us wanted to be in. Without our consent, we were forced to share a sorority house with a male adult.”
“I believe that everyone deserves a safe space. A space where they can relax and open up to others who understand them. For me, that space was my sorority house. For other women, that space is in the locker room or on the court with their team,” Holtmeier said. “When men start to infiltrate these spaces, women are exposed to and forced into uncomfortable situations.”
Melissa Money-Beecher, Lincoln, Nebraska chapter member of Independent Women’s Network, the national grassroots membership arm of Independent Women, shared her perspective as a volleyball coach managing 18 recreational adult volleyball teams in Lincoln, Nebraska: “As a coach, I am committed to fostering a spirit of fellowship and fairness in our league. But I encountered a troubling situation that tested my resolve. After returning from a medical leave, I discovered that an interim coach had attempted to pass off a male player as a female to gain a competitive advantage.”
“If we turn a blind eye in small leagues, it becomes easier to justify similar actions in parks and recreation programs, high schools, colleges, and beyond. The ripple effect undermines the opportunities and spaces that women have fought so hard to protect. Nebraska Legislative Bill 89 is essential for preventing this kind of erosion,” Money-Beecher added. Money-Beecher also wrote an op-ed for The Grand Island Independent in support of the Stand with Women Act, showing why state action on defining sex and preserving single-sex spaces is essential.
LB89 would codify Governor Pillen’s executive order to define sex and goes further by explicitly protecting women’s sports and spaces. Kansas, Tennessee, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Alabama, Iowa, Indiana, West Virginia, Wyoming, and soon South Dakota and Montana have all adopted laws inspired by Independent Women’s Stand With Women model, positively affecting the lives of over 23 million women and girls.
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