By M.H. Cavanaugh
Christian Action League
April 30, 2021
Last week, the Christian Action League reported that the Youth Health Protection Act, Senate Bill 514, would not be taken up by the Senate this session. This decision by the Senate leadership would likely also cause the demise of The Save Women’s Sports Act, House Bill 358. Unfortunately, that prediction came true on Thursday when House Speaker Tim Moore told the Raleigh News and Observer that the sports measure would not be taken up.
According to the Raleigh N&O, Moore said, “A wise legislature does not go out looking for social issues to tap.” Moore said legislative staff had spoken to sports regulatory organizations and asked them if they were currently having any problems with transgender females playing female sports in the state. The answer was that there had been no complaints or concerns expressed.
“We had no examples of where there is really a problem, and I’m a believer that you shouldn’t pass legislation unless there’s a problem you’re trying to address. I mean, obviously, these things can spin up and get really controversial and all of that. So, you know, before you go down that road, there needs to be, I would say, an articulated problem,” Moore told the N&O.
But Moore also reportedly said that the legislature wouldn’t be shy about addressing controversial social issues when action was needed.
Rev. Mark Creech, executive director of the Christian Action League, said that although he completely disagreed with the House Speaker, he understood his cautious approach.
“I don’t agree with the Speaker at all. I respectfully believe he’s in error. The legislature has approved matters of lesser import without hesitation as a preventative in the past. As the old adage says, ‘An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,’ said Creech. “But the Speaker, as well as others who make up the controlling body of the House and Senate, don’t have the stomach right now for what could be another fight like HB 2. Moreover, they know Gov. Roy Cooper, being the rabid progressive he is, will veto the bill. It’s a sad day, if you ask me, for principled legislation – especially the kind that addresses questions of where so-called LGBTQ rights clash with the rights of others.”
Creech added; however, he deeply admired the courage and integrity of the primary sponsors of the bill: Representatives Mark Brody (R-Anson), Pat McElraft (R-Carteret), Diane Wheatley (R-Cumberland), and Jimmy Dixon (R-Duplin).
“These people, along with forty-five other members of the House who signed onto the measure, showed an uncommon valor, I think,” said Creech. “Until, or unless, we can demonstrate the same kind of passion the Political Left does for their values, I fear we’ll always be behind the eight ball. It’s seemingly the people with the most passion who ultimately win the day. Our side too often acts like we don’t believe what we say we believe, and we are quick to acquiesce when there’s some intense pushback. I say it with a broken heart; our side has little stamina for a protracted fight. That must change, or we will only keep losing ground.”
During a hearing on HB 358 on April 15th, Rep. Brody was asked by Rep. Rosa Gill (D-Wake) if transgender females playing in women’s sports were an issue in the state. Brody said he had clear evidence that it already was, but he added if legislators didn’t think the evidence he had was sufficient, there is nothing wrong with putting forward a bill before it becomes a problem.
Senate Bill 514 would have barred doctors from performing sterilization procedures on people younger than 21 who seek to change their gender. That bill was declared dead last week by Senate Pro-Tempore, Phil Berger. House Bill 358 would have prevented transgender girls from playing female sports because of their biological advantages and creating an unequal playing field.
In a written statement provided by the North Carolina Values Coalition, executive director Tami Fitzgerald promised: “The day a female athlete in North Carolina loses a scholarship, fails to make the team, or is injured because she was forced to compete against a biological male, I will be at the Speaker’s office to remind him that he missed the opportunity to save women’s sports, and now it’s time to fix it.”
“I’ll be right there beside her,” said Rev. Creech. “Right there with a line of concerned pastors behind me.”
