Montana Governor, Whose Child Is Nonbinary, Signs Law Defining ‘Sex’ as Only Male or Female (People)

Montana Governor, Whose Child Is Nonbinary, Signs Law Defining ‘Sex’ as Only Male or Female – By Virginia Chamlee (People) / May 23, 2023

Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte has signed into law a bill that defines ‘sex’ as a binary in Montana law, weeks after his child, who identifies as nonbinary, urged him not to

Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte has signed into law a bill that defines “sex” as a binary in Montana law, weeks after his child, who identifies as nonbinary, urged him not to.

Over the weekend, the Montana governor signed the controversial anti-LGBTQ+ measure — known as Senate Bill 458 — which will define the word “sex” in state law as only male or female. The law is scheduled to take effect Oct. 1.

In a statement, the governor’s press secretary, Kaitlin Price, said the law “codifies the long-recognized, commonsense, immutable, biologically-based definition of sex, male and female, while protecting people born intersex and not infringing on transgender individuals’ ability to identify with whatever gender, but not sex, they wish.”

But opponents argue that it effectively erases those who are transgender, nonbinary, Two-Spirit or intersex from state law. In an April House floor debate on the measure, state Rep. SJ Howell, who is transgender and nonbinary, argued that many Montanans don’t consider themselves “male” or “female.”

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