Nebraska Becomes 26th State to Protect Girls and Women’s Sports

Nebraska became the 26th state to protect girls and women’s K-12 and collegiate sports after Governor Jim Pillen signed “The Stand for Women Act” earlier this week.
The bill allows for all male, all female and coed teams in school sports.
Although many transgender and media activists call such legislation “transgender bans,” these commonsense laws don’t even mention transgenderism. They are grounded in science, defining male and female based on reproductive capacity, not spurious gender ideology.
Alliance Defending Freedom Legal Counsel Erica O’Connell commended the legislature and governor for “passing this critical bill,” adding:
Letting men intrude on women and girls sports teams is an invasion of privacy, a threat to their safety, and a denial of the real biological differences between the sexes.
Nebraska is right to ensure that female athletes of all ages have a fair and level playing field and protect the safety and dignity of women and girls.
Legislative Bill 89 originally included provisions restriction school restrooms and locker rooms based on sex, but those were removed to assure the bill’s passage.
The Nebraska Examiner reported that state Sen. Merv Riepe, who objected to sex-segregated facilities being mandated by the legislature, said, “I did not run for office to become part of the ‘Nebraska State Potty Patrol.’”
The act’s sponsor, Senator Katheen Kauth, said she’ll try again to protect the privacy, dignity and safety of all students by introducing a bill in 2026 that mandate’s separate facilities in schools. The Examiner quoted her saying, “The work is not done. We’re going to continue.”
LB 89 is based on the reality of innate differences between the two sexes, as the legislation explains:
Males and females possess unique and immutable differences that manifest prior to birth and increase as they age and experience puberty.
Differences between the sexes are enduring and may, in some circumstances, warrant the creation of separate social, educational, athletic, or other spaces in order to ensure safety and to allow members of each sex to succeed and thrive.
The act lists some of the physical advantages for males, noting they have “on average, a larger body size with more skeletal muscle mass, a lower percentage of body fat, and a greater maximal delivery of anaerobic and aerobic energy.”
Noting the “significant sports performance gap between the sexes,” LB 89 further states:
Even at young ages, males typically score higher than females on cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, and speed and agility. These differences become more pronounced during and after puberty as males produce higher levels of testosterone. On average, male athletes are bigger, faster, stronger, and more physically powerful than their female counterparts.
The new law explains that these natural advantages are not erased when males suppress testosterone and take female hormones.
It’s unfair and even dangerous to allow males to compete in girls and women’s sports. We at the Daily Citizen are grateful that more and more states, as well as the federal government, are moving to protect their athletic achievements, along with their health, dignity and privacy.
Related Resources and Articles:
Don’t Let the Media Deceive You About Trump’s Order Protecting Female Athletes
Feds Pressure California After Boy Wins in Girls Track and Field Championship
House Passes Bill Protecting Women and Girls in Sports
NYT Poll Finds Almost 80% of Americans Oppose Men in Women’s Sports
Payton McNabb, Injured Volleyball Player, Wins Title IX Victory
Senate Democrats Block Bill to Save Women’s Sports Trump Signs Executive Order Protecting Women’s Sports and Spaces
Image from Gov. Jim Pillan
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jeff Johnston is a culture and policy analyst for Focus on the Family and a staff writer for the Daily Citizen. He researches, writes and teaches about topics of concern to families such as parental rights, religious freedom, LGBT issues, education and free speech. Johnston has been interviewed by CBS Sunday Morning, The New York Times, Associated Press News, The Christian Post, Rolling Stone and Vice, and is a frequent guest on radio and television outlets. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from San Diego State University with a Bachelors in English and a Teaching Credential. He and his wife have been married 30 years and have three grown sons.
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