The North Carolina legislature has successfully overridden the vetoes of Governor Roy Cooper on three bills aimed at protecting minors and athletes from the risks associated with transgender ideology. The first bill prohibits gender-transitioning procedures for individuals under 18, the second bans males from participating in female sports programs, and the third prohibits LGBT material in school curricula and mandates parental notification if their children identify as the opposite sex.
Now that the vetoes have been overridden, the bills will become law. These are “huge wins for North Carolina women, parents, and families”, said House Speaker Tim Moore.
House Bill 808 specifically prohibits medical professionals from administering hormone therapy and surgical gender-transition procedures to minors. The law allows limited exceptions and imposes penalties, including potential revocation of medical licenses for non-compliance. North Carolina thus became the 22nd state to pass legislation protecting minors from irreversible gender transition procedures.
The legislature also overturned Cooper’s veto of House Bill 574, known as the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act. The law ensures that students’ sex is determined solely based on their reproductive biology and genetics at birth. It prohibits male students from participating in female sports teams but does not address gender-confused girls participating in boys’ teams.
Additionally, the legislature overturned Cooper’s veto of Senate Bill 49, known as the Parents’ Bill of Rights, which prohibits teachers from providing classroom instruction on sexuality or gender identity to students in kindergarten through fourth grade. It also requires parental notification of any changes in a student’s name or pronoun used in school records or by school personnel.
The bills protect the safety and fairness of sports competitions and ensure parental rights and transparency in education. Their passage reflects ongoing debates and disagreements surrounding the impact of transgender ideology on society and protections for minors.