(LifeSiteNews) — Nebraska’s Republican Gov. Jim Pillen has signed an executive order which defines biological sex and endorses the use of single-sex facilities, prohibiting gender-confused men from invading women’s spaces and sports.
On Wednesday, Pillen signed “Executive Order No. 23-16, Establishing a Women’s Bill of Rights,” which he described as “common sense” because “men do not belong in women’s only spaces.”
It's Common Sense.
Men do not belong in women's only spaces. https://t.co/oxUdRPl5J8 pic.twitter.com/P7PMMPjzuX
— Governor Jim Pillen (@TeamPillen) August 31, 2023
“A person’s ‘sex’ is defined as his or her biological sex (either male or female) at birth,” the order states. “A ‘female’ is an individual whose biological reproductive system is developed to produce ova; a ‘male’ is an individual whose biological reproductive system is developed to fertilize the ova of a female.”
The order specifies that the terms “woman” and “girl” also “refer to human females” and “man” and “boy” are males. Similarly, “the word ‘mother’ is defined as a parent of the female sex and ‘father’ is defined as a parent of the male sex.”
“There are legitimate reasons to distinguish between the sexes with respect to athletics, prisons or other detention facilities, domestic violence shelters, rape crisis centers, locker rooms, restrooms and other areas where biology, safety and/or privacy are implicated.”
Some of the “legitimate reasons” provided include the “unique and immutable biological differences” of men and women, leading to unequal physical competition and the need for sex-segregated “social, educational, athletic, or other spaces in order to ensure safety and/or to allow members of each sex to succeed and thrive.”
The definitions clarified in the order are to be used “in the promulgation of administrative rules, enforcement of administrative decisions, and the adjudication of disputes by administrative agencies, boards, and commissions, all state agencies, boards, and commissions.”
“Any public school or school district and any state agency, department, or office that collects vital statistics for the purpose of complying with antidiscrimination laws or for the purpose of gathering accurate public health, crime, economic, or other data shall identify each individual who is part of the collected data set as either male or female at birth.”
The order went into effect upon receiving the governor’s signature on Aug. 30.
Women’s sports advocate Riley Gaines celebrated the news on X, formerly Twitter, saying that she had “met with Governor Pillen” about the matter three days prior to the signing of the executive order.
“THAT is leadership,” Gaines wrote. “Thanks for implementing @IWV’s [Independent Women’s Voice] WBOR [Women’s Bill of Rights] and protecting nearly 1 million Nebraskan women. The tide is turning.”
Met with Governor Pillen about signing an EO on the Women's Bill of Rights on 8/27…
Gov Pillen signed an EO on the Women's Bill of Rights on 8/30.
THAT is leadership. Thanks for implementing @IWV's WBOR and protecting nearly 1 million Nebraskan women. The tide is turning. pic.twitter.com/pNCKXSIxLl
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) August 31, 2023
Gaines added that on the same day Pillen signed the order, “Nebraska has the most attended women’s sporting event ever.” According to ESPN, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln women’s volleyball team attracted 92,003 fans on Wednesday, breaking the world record for the largest crowd to attend any women’s sporting event.
The executive order comes barely two weeks after a district court judge ruled the state can enforce its ban on gender-mutilating surgical intervention for minors and the requirement that hormonal intervention be conducted in accordance with regulations issued by the state’s chief medical officer, who was appointed by Pillen.
Pillen originally signed Legislative Bill 574 in May. It also prohibits killing babies via abortion after 12 weeks. Republicans — including Pillen — had previously criticized fellow Republican Sen. Merv Riepe for reversing his initial support of language to ban abortion after a baby’s heartbeat is detected (generally around six weeks), leading to the ultimate failure of greater protection for the unborn.
