By L.A. Williams
Christian Action League
July 6, 2023
North Carolinians who are discouraged by Gov. Roy Cooper’s recent vetoes of three common-sense bills should encourage their lawmakers to override the vetoes, says the Rev. Mark Creech, executive director of the Christian Action League.
“Every person with any common sense who is uninfluenced by the prevailing ‘woke’ ideology of our day is profoundly disappointed that Gov. Cooper on Wednesday vetoed three crucial bills: The Parents’ Bill of Rights, a measure seeking to prevent gender transitioning surgeries for minors, and legislation that would safeguard the integrity of women’s sports,” Creech said. (Read his full statement.)
House bills 49, 574 and 808 will now head back to the Legislature, where veto overrides are a strong possibility, given that the Republican Party holds a supermajority in both chambers.
Fairness in Women’s Sports
H574, the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, would prohibit biological males from playing women’s sports in middle and high school, as well as in colleges and universities. Teams would retain their designations as male, female, or co-ed on the basis of biological sex. While Cooper and other opponents of the bill claim it is unnecessary, supporters point to the obvious physical differences in the sexes and cases such as those of Payton McNabb, who suffered severe injuries when a male posing as a female on the opposite team spiked a volleyball into her head; or Riley Gaines, a champion college swimmer who was forced to compete against so-called transwoman William “Lia” Thomas.
“By his veto, Gov. Cooper has demonstrated a lack of concern for the well-established realities tied to biological differences between men and women. His misguided veto strikes a blow against the pursuit of fairness and equality in athletic competitions and jeopardizes the dreams and aspirations of countless talented female athletes across our state,” Creech said.
In passing the bill, North Carolina would join 22 other states striving to keep the playing field level and to protect girls and women from sharing locker rooms with biological males. Two Democrats, Rep. Michael Wray (Halifax) and Sen. Val Applewhite (Cumberland) joined with Republicans in voting for the bill. Applewhite told reporters she based her decision on conversations with coaches, umpires and other constituents in her district, including some members of the LGBTQ community.
No transition surgeries for minors
H808, a ban on transition surgeries for people under age 18, would prohibit doctors from prescribing puberty blockers or performing disfiguring “transition” surgeries on minors.
“The open-door policy of allowing children to permanently change their gender is reckless, and rightfully questioned by the medical community,” Sen. Joyce Krawiec (R-Forsyth) wrote in a statement released after Cooper vetoed the bill. “Several countries are now restricting gender-reassignment procedures for minors, citing long-term consequences and permanent risks.”
The Rev. Creech addressed the House Judiciary Committee about the bill in June, pointing out that by law we do not permit minors to use tobacco, drink alcohol, take drugs, gamble or engage in sex with an adult, all of which will negatively affect their health. In the same way, he said, minors should not be allowed to alter their gender surgically – an act which unquestionably poses risks, including complications from the surgery, hormonal imbalances, and an increased chance of developing mental health issues such as depression and suicidal ideation.
Lawmakers also heard from Prisha Mosley, who described the severe and lasting injuries she suffered as a teen as a result of so-called “gender-affirming care.”
“After meeting with me for a matter of minutes, a counselor told me that I was actually a boy and that changing my body to be more like a boy would fix my mental health issues,” said Mosley, who further described how her parents were also manipulated by those pushing for the surgery. “My doctors asked my parents if they would rather have a dead daughter or a living son.”
Mosley, who now rightly identifies as the girl she was born as, gave an impassioned plea for lawmakers to pass the bill to protect others like her.
Parents’ Bill of Rights
H49, the Parents’ Bill of Rights, was passed to uphold the fundamental responsibility of parents to make crucial decisions about their children’s education and upbringing. It would ban curriculum about gender identity, sexual activity or sexuality in kindergarten through fourth grades in public schools and require school employees to notify parents if their children ask to be called by a different name or pronoun. The measure would also permit parents to review curriculum materials and to find out what materials their children are checking out from the school library.
“By vetoing this bill, Governor Cooper has undermined the invaluable role and authority parents rightfully possess in raising their children. Ushering in government interference in such deeply personal matters infringes upon our cherished principles of individual liberty and parental autonomy,” Creech said.
He called on individuals of faith, parents, sports enthusiasts, and citizens who believe in the values of personal freedom, fairness, and the integrity of women’s sports to rally behind these three causes.
“It is imperative to make it unequivocally clear to the Governor that his position is fundamentally flawed, ill-advised, and unjustifiable,” Creech said. “Citizen Christians are obligated to contact their legislators and engage other Christians and people with similar values in spreading awareness through social media platforms. By taking action, these vetoes may be overcome and the rights and protections the people of this state rightly deserve can be restored.”
