Governor Patrick Morrisey signs on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, the “Riley Gaines Act”, which will define the terms “man” and “woman” in the state of code by West Virginia using biological sex. (West Virginia office of the governor Patrick Morrisey | Cemoracy photo)
In a packaged room in the West Virginia Capitol, governor Patrick Morrisey signed an invoice on Wednesday, which will define the terms “man” and “woman” in the state code for the first time by the biological sex of a person. The measure is the first of the priority invoices of the Republican governor who make it to his desk in this legislative session.
The The invoiceknown as “Riley Gaines Act”, transgender individuals will restrict “ Access to rooms such as bathrooms or changing rooms that match your gender identity. The state code does not cover the existence of non -bobsome people or those who do not identify as “male” or “female”.
“In my state of state speech, I said that West Virginia would lead to common sense, and that’s exactly what we can do today,” said Morrisey, who signed legislation while we were flanked by female legislators and students. “It is common sense that women’s rooms such as bathrooms, changing rooms, shelter and rape crisis centers should only be kept privately for women.”
“West Virginia will not bend the radical gender -specific ideology,” he added.
The legislators of the state signed in the measure last week. Several Democrats voted against this, which caused the concerns that they were aiming for susceptible transgender -growing and children.
The Senate Changed the measure on Tuesday In order to make it clear that the draft law cannot be interpreted as a permit for someone to examine a child’s genitals to determine the child’s biological sex.
Morrisey called the legislation After the former Collegiate swimmer of the University of Kentucky, who spoke against trans women in sports. Other states have introduced similar measures in the same name that would limit the access of transgender persons to bathrooms and school sports teams.
“Thanks to governor Morrisey and prioritization of a law in West Virginia, which defines sex and preserving women, almost a million women and girls in West virginians are not embarrassed and sometimes even dangerous experiences in their private spaces,” said Gaines, who visited the invoice sign in Charleston.
There are No empirical evidence to support claims that translectors are harassing or attacking others if they utilize bathrooms or facilities that match their gender identity. Instead, people who are trans A study by the William Institute at the UCLA School of Law.
Andrew Schneider, director of the nationwide LGBTQ -Advocacy organization Fairness West Virginia, said in an explanation: “Although the main burden of this law focuses on bathroom, I hope that we do not lose sight of the many other damage that could cause this legislation. This invoice expressly prohibits domestic violence accommodation, transgender victims to offer a real unthreatening port. “
The West Virginia domestic violence coalition Against the measureAnd to say that the ability to serve transgender women who are looking for protection to serve a “death sentence” for these people.
President Donald Trump published one in January Executive order Inquire that the US government will only recognize two gendersMale and female.
Morrisey, a convinced supporter of Trump, said: “We will support all efforts to protect women’s sports and women’s rooms.”
