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Lord, we thank You for the passage of the Riley Gaines Act. We ask You to use it to protect women throughout West Virginia!
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West Virginia has joined the ever-growing list of states protecting women, passing a law that will keep transgender people from intruding on sex-segregates spaces.

From The Christian Post. West Virginia has become the latest state to prohibit trans-identified males from using sex-segregated spaces designated for women by enacting a measure seen as ā€œcommon senseā€ by supporters while denounced by opponents as ā€œan attempt to force trans people back into the closet.ā€

Pray for your fellow intercessor.

 

On Wednesday, West Virginiaā€™s Republican Gov. Patrick Morrisey signed the Riley Gaines Act into law. The measure is named after Riley Gaines, a prominent former female swimmer who spoke out against having to compete against and share a locker room with a trans-identified male swimmer. Gaines, who was present when Morrisey signed the legislation that bears her name,Ā reportedĀ feeling ā€œextreme discomfortā€ about having to share a locker room with the trans-identified athlete, Lia Thomas, who still has male genitalia.

In aĀ statementĀ announcing his approval of the measure, Morrisey declared that ā€œToday, we sent a strong message that West Virginia stands with women.ā€ He insisted that ā€œWest Virginia will not bow down to radical gender ideology ā€“ we are going to lead with common sense, and the Riley Gaines Act does exactly that.ā€

Morriseyā€™s approval of the Riley Gaines Act, also known as Senate Bill 456, follows aĀ 32-1 voteĀ to pass the measure by the Republican-controlled West Virginia Senate and aĀ 90-8 voteĀ in favor of the legislation by the Republican-controlled West Virginia House of Delegates. In both chambers, nearly all of the support for the measure came from Republicans while all opposition came from Democrats. One Senate Democrat joined Republicans in backing the bill.

TheĀ billĀ establishes a definition for a ā€œmaleā€ as ā€œan individual who naturally has, had, will have through the course of normal development, or would have but for a developmental anomaly, genetic anomaly, or accident, the reproductive system that at some point produces, transports, and utilizes sperm for fertilization.ā€ It identifies ā€œboyā€ as the term used for a minor male, ā€œmanā€ as the term for an adult male and ā€œfatherā€ as the term used for a male parent.

The legislation defines a ā€œfemaleā€ as ā€œan individual who naturally has, had, will have through the course of normal development, or would have but for a developmental anomaly, genetic anomaly, or accident, the reproductive system that at some point produces, transports, and utilizes ova for fertilization.ā€ It defines ā€œgirlā€ as the term used for a minor female, ā€œwomanā€ as the term that refers to an adult female and ā€œmotherā€ as the word for a female parent.

The measure clarifies that ā€œthere are only two sexes, and every individual is either male or female.ā€ It requires educational institutions including public schools and institutions of higher education as well as domestic violence shelters and prisons to ensure that ā€œrestrooms, multiple occupancy restrooms or changing rooms, and sleeping quartersā€ are reserved for either males or females as defined by state law.

Alliance Defending Freedom Legal CounselĀ Sara Beth NolanĀ reacted to Morriseyā€™s approval of Senate Bill 456 by stating ā€œStates have a duty to protect the privacy, safety, and dignity of women and girls.ā€ She added that ā€œLetting men intrude into girlsā€™ spaces where they are most vulnerableā€”whether in a changing space, sleeping quarters, or the restroomā€”is an invasion of privacy, a threat to their safety, and a denial of the real biological differences between the two sexes.ā€

Nolan predicted that ā€œThis will help protect young girls and women across the state for generations to come.ā€Ā  The ACLU of West Virginia had a different view on the passage of the legislation. In aĀ statementĀ released Wednesday, the liberal advocacy organization condemned the measure as ā€œan attempt to force trans people back into the closetā€ under ā€œthe guise of ā€˜definingā€™ men and women.ā€

ā€œThis bill has no enforcement mechanism, but will undoubtedly add to stigma against trans people and empower those who want to harass and intimidate them. But the Legislatureā€™s efforts to erase trans people will ultimately fail. Trans people have always existed and there will never be a world in which they do not exist.ā€

West Virginia has now become theĀ 17th stateĀ to require people to use sex-segregated spaces that align with their biological sex as opposed to their stated gender identity. Florida, Utah and Wyoming have laws in place that apply to all government-owned buildings and spaces while measures on the books in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Dakota and Ohio cover K-12 schools and at least some government-owned buildings.

Laws in place in Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia only apply to K-12 schools.

What do you think of the Riley Gaines Act? Share your prayers and scriptures below.

This article was originally published at The Christian Post. Used with permission. Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore – https://www.flickr.com/photos/gageskidmore/52941091522/, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=132671932.

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