West Virginia Senate passes bill defining gender, restricts transgender use of single-sex spaces
CHARLESTON – The West Virginia Senate approved Senate Bill 456, also known as the Riley Gaines Act, in a 32-1 vote on Monday. The bill aims to define “male” and “female” in state law based on biological sex at birth and limits the use of single-sex spaces by the transgender community.
State Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Mike Stuart stated that the bill is intended to protect the privacy of girls and women in certain spaces like restrooms. However, Democratic State Sen. Joey Garcia cautioned that the bill could be harmful to the transgender community and services such as domestic violence shelters.
The bill, named after former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines, is supported by Governor Patrick Morrisey. Proponents argue that it preserves the rights of biological women, while opponents like LGBTQ organization Fairness West Virginia claim it unfairly targets the transgender community.
SB 456 will now move to the House of Delegates for consideration. Despite differing opinions, both sides of the debate have cited biblical scriptures to support their arguments.
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