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Republican governor shocks North Dakota, vetoes bill banning trans girls from sports

Republican governor shocks North Dakota, vetoes bill banning trans girls from sports
via Wikimedia Commons and Ted Eytan / Flickr

There has been a tide of anti-trans paranoia washing over America's red states during the past year. Thirty-five bills have been introduced by state legislators to limit or prohibit transgender women from competing in women's athletics. There were only two in 2019.

However, this week has seen some significant pushback in multiple states.

Republican North Dakota governor Doug Burgum surprised a lot of people by vetoing a bill that would prohibit transgender girls from participating in women's sports.


The bill, known as H.B. 1298, passed in the state Senate 27-20 last Thursday and 69-25 in the House on Wednesday.

However, Burgum vetoed it because in North Dakota, there isn't an issue with trans girls playing sports.

"There is no evidence to suggest this is true," he wrote. "To date, there has not been a single recorded incident of a transgender girl attempting to play on a North Dakota girls' team. This bill's blanket prohibitions do not extend to students attending tribal or privately funded schools, thereby creating the potential for an unlevel playing field."

He also added that the North Dakota High School Activities Association already has a law on the books that requires trans girls to undergo testosterone suppression treatment for a full year before joining a girls' sports team.

The state Senate will only attempt to override the veto if the House does as well. If the votes remain the same as the initial vote, the attempt will fail.

By vetoing the bill, Burgum illustrates the fact that there was no real reason for the legislation but for conservative legislators to gain political capital off the tide of trans paranoia sweeping through America's red states. It was a brave move for him to stand up against his own party.

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The paranoia surrounding trans girls in sports looks a lot like the right-wing campaign against allowing trans people to use the bathroom of their gender from a few years ago.

Conservatives claimed that men were dressing as women under the guise of being transgender to assault them. But, the facts showed that there were no assaults of that nature in any states that passed laws allowing trans people to use the bathroom of their gender.

The news from North Dakota comes as three other states are rejecting anti-trans legislation as well.

In Kansas, Democratic Governor Laura Kelly said she will veto a bill passed by House Republicans that aims to prohibit trans girls from playing sports in school.

Louisiana Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards recently announced he's against any new legislation that would prohibit sports participation for trans youth or limit gender-affirming healthcare.

Bills targeting trans people in North Carolina, Florida, Montana, Missouri, and Florida have all recently been set aside.

Chase Strangio, staff attorney for the ACLU and transgender rights activist, believes the recent string of legal victories should be attributed to trans rights activists. "Though this session has been brutal. Three Republican governors have vetoed (in one way or another) anti-trans laws," he tweeted. "That is a testament to incredible organizing. Forever in awe of trans organizers."

Identity

Celebrate International Women's Day with these stunning photos of female leaders changing the world

The portraits, taken by acclaimed photographer Nigel Barker, are part of CARE's "She Leads the World" campaign.

Images provided by CARE

Kadiatu (left), Zainab (right)

True

Women are breaking down barriers every day. They are transforming the world into a more equitable place with every scientific discovery, athletic feat, social justice reform, artistic endeavor, leadership role, and community outreach project.

And while these breakthroughs are happening all the time, International Women’s Day (Mar 8) is when we can all take time to acknowledge the collective progress, and celebrate how “She Leads the World.

This year, CARE, a leading global humanitarian organization dedicated to empowering women and girls, is celebrating International Women’s Day through the power of portraiture. CARE partnered with high-profile photographer Nigel Barker, best known for his work on “America’s Next Top Model,” to capture breathtaking images of seven remarkable women who have prevailed over countless obstacles to become leaders within their communities.

“Mabinty, Isatu, Adama, and Kadiatu represent so many women around the world overcoming incredible obstacles to lead their communities,” said Michelle Nunn, President and CEO of CARE USA.

Barker’s bold portraits, as part of CARE’s “She Leads The World” campaign, not only elevate each woman’s story, but also shine a spotlight on how CARE programs helped them get to where they are today.

About the women:

Mabinty

international womens day, care.org

Mabinty is a businesswoman and a member of a CARE savings circle along with a group of other women. She buys and sells groundnuts, rice, and fuel. She and her husband have created such a successful enterprise that Mabinty volunteers her time as a teacher in the local school. She was the first woman to teach there, prompting a second woman to do so. Her fellow teachers and students look up to Mabinty as the leader and educator she is.

Kadiatu

international womens day, care.org

Kadiatu supports herself through a small business selling food. She also volunteers at a health clinic in the neighboring village where she is a nursing student. She tests for malaria, works with infants, and joins her fellow staff in dancing and singing with the women who visit the clinic. She aspires to become a full-time nurse so she can treat and cure people. Today, she leads by example and with ambition.

Isatu

international womens day, care.org

When Isatu was three months pregnant, her husband left her, seeking his fortune in the gold mines. Now Isatu makes her own way, buying and selling food to support her four children. It is a struggle, but Isatu is determined to be a part of her community and a provider for her kids. A single mother of four is nothing if not a leader.

Zainab

international womens day, care.org

Zainab is the Nurse in Charge at the Maternal Child Health Outpost in her community. She is the only nurse in the surrounding area, and so she is responsible for the pre-natal health of the community’s mothers-to-be and for the safe delivery of their babies. In a country with one of the world’s worst maternal death rates, Zainab has not lost a single mother. The community rallies around Zainab and the work she does. She describes the women who visit the clinic as sisters. That feeling is clearly mutual.

Adama

international womens day, care.org

Adama is something few women are - a kehkeh driver. A kehkeh is a three-wheeled motorcycle taxi, known elsewhere as a tuktuk. Working in the Kissy neighborhood of Freetown, Adama is the primary breadwinner for her family, including her son. She keeps her riders safe in other ways, too, by selling condoms. With HIV threatening to increase its spread, this is a vital service to the community.

Ya Yaebo

international womens day, care.org

“Ya” is a term of respect for older, accomplished women. Ya Yaebo has earned that title as head of her local farmers group. But there is much more than that. She started as a Village Savings and Loan Association member and began putting money into her business. There is the groundnut farm, her team buys and sells rice, and own their own oil processing machine. They even supply seeds to the Ministry of Agriculture. She has used her success to the benefit of people in need in her community and is a vocal advocate for educating girls, not having gone beyond grade seven herself.

On Monday, March 4, CARE will host an exhibition of photography in New York City featuring these portraits, kicking off the multi-day “She Leads the World Campaign.

Learn more, view the portraits, and join CARE’s International Women's Day "She Leads the World" celebration at CARE.org/sheleads.


Health

Over or under? Surprisingly, there actually is a 'correct' way to hang a toilet paper roll.

Let's settle this silly-but-surprisingly-heated debate once and for all.

Elya/Wikimedia Commons

Should you hang the toilet paper roll over or under?



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The "over or under" question has plagued marriages and casual acquaintances alike for over 100 years, with both sides convinced they have the soundest reasoning for putting their toilet paper loose end out or loose end under. Some people feel so strongly about right vs. wrong TP hanging that they will even flip the roll over when they go to the bathroom in the homes of strangers.

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Some who saw the video thought that Asero came off as entitled and exemplified the younger generation’s lack of work ethic. In contrast, others sympathized with the young woman who is just beginning to understand how hard it is to find work-life balance in modern-day America.

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