ADF to Gov. Noem: Criticism is not engaging in cancel culture
The following quote may be attributed to Alliance Defending Freedom General Counsel Kristen Waggoner regarding South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem’s reported characterization of her decision to illegitimately use her “style and form” veto power to gut the Fairness in Women’s Sports bill, H.B. 1217, as attempts to “cancel” her:
“Alliance Defending Freedom defends victims of cancel culture every day. Exposing invented explanations for bad decisions and criticizing Gov. Noem for caving to woke corporations is not cancel culture. It’s accountability. And it’s a grave injustice to compare public criticism of her decision to gut the Fairness in Women’s Sports legislation to those who have truly been victimized by cancel culture. The truth is there is no NCAA policy that requires males to compete against girls. The governor could have demonstrated courage in the face of special interests but instead is using sleight of hand and smoke and mirrors to cover her tracks. That’s not what a real leader does. Real leadership does the right thing even when it’s hard. That’s what other governors have done. And that’s what 14 attorneys general did when they signed in support of similar legislation in Idaho. Gov. Noem caved to pressure from corporate special interests when others haven’t, and it has harmed the broader effort to protect fairness in women’s sports. We hope Gov. Noem will join these states by signing H.B. 1217 rather than continuing her current course.”
Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization committed to protecting religious freedom, free speech, parental rights, and the sanctity of life.
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ABOUT Kristen Waggoner
As the CEO, president, and general counsel of Alliance Defending Freedom, Kristen Waggoner leads the faith-based organization in advancing every person's God-given right to live and speak the truth in the U.S. and around the world. She oversees more than 450 ADF team members in 10 global offices. Since 2011, ADF has won 15 cases at the U.S. Supreme Court, three of which were argued by Waggoner: Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, Uzuebgunam v. Presczewski, and 303 Creative v. Elenis. ADF also has a strong record of international success at the European Court of Human Rights, United Nations, and other leading courts and tribunals and has secured the release of more than 1,000 imprisoned Christians. After clerking with Washington Supreme Court Justice Richard B. Sanders, Waggoner practiced law for over 16 years at a Seattle firm before joining ADF in 2013. She is Peer Review Rated AV® Preeminent™ in Martindale-Hubbell. Waggoner is a sought-after public speaker who often appears in national and international media outlets.