Governor Greg Gianforte reaffirmed his commitment to safeguarding the privacy, safety, and fairness of Montana women and girls by signing two key pieces of legislation aimed at protecting women’s spaces and ensuring fairness in women’s sports.
“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,” Governor Gianforte said. “Today, we’re maintaining equal opportunity for all Americans, while also protecting women and girls and their right to safe and separate facilities and activities.”
The Governor signed House Bill 121, which preserves the legal definition of women as distinct from men, ensuring the protection of single-sex spaces such as domestic violence shelters, locker rooms, correctional facilities, and sleeping quarters. The bill defends women’s privacy and security against attempts to erode these protections.
In addition, House Bill 300 was signed into law to preserve the integrity of women’s sports, ensuring that women’s athletic competitions remain fair and based on biological sex. This bill prevents biological males from competing in women’s sports, aligning Montana’s policy with other states that have enacted similar protections.
Joining the governor in praising the legislation were Independent Women’s Voice and Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), who lauded the bills as crucial steps in protecting the safety, dignity, and opportunity of women and girls in the state.
Riley Gaines, host of the “Outkick’s Gaines for Girls” podcast, applauded the legislation, saying, “Under Governor Gianforte’s leadership, Montana has prioritized the preservation of women’s safety and opportunities, whether in athletics or in single-sex spaces. This sends a clear message that the Gianforte administration stands with over half a million Montana women and girls.”
Matt Sharp, Senior Counsel with Alliance Defending Freedom, also commended the bills. “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.”
The governor’s actions reflect a broader movement led by conservative leaders, following in the footsteps of President Trump, who in his first weeks in office signed an executive order aimed at protecting women’s sports. In 2021, Gianforte signed House Bill 112, banning transgender athletes from competing in sports that do not align with their biological sex.
Earlier this year, Governor Gianforte also took a stand against federal overreach when he joined with other governors to call on the National Collegiate Athletics Association to protect women’s sports from Biden administration policies that sought to undermine fair competition.
By signing these critical pieces of legislation into law, Governor Gianforte is reaffirming his administration’s commitment to ensuring that Montana remains a place where the rights of women and girls are respected and protected for generations to come.
By: DNU staff