Kansas governor vetoes legislation protecting women's sports
The following quote may be attributed to Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Christiana Kiefer regarding Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto Friday of the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, as bill that protects opportunities for women and girls in athletics by ensuring they are not forced to compete against males playing on women’s sports teams:
“By vetoing this bill, Gov. Kelly has chosen—for the third time—to reject fairness in sports for thousands of women and girls in Kansas. Allowing males to compete in girls’ sports is discriminatory and destroys fair competition and women’s athletic opportunities. As we continue to witness increasing incidents nationwide of males dominating girls’ athletic competitions, it’s imperative to affirm that biology, not identity, is what matters in athletics. We commend the Kansas Legislature for its continued resilience in the effort to protect the state’s female athletes, and we strongly encourage it to override this veto and join the coalition of states that have enshrined protections for women’s sports into law.”
- Pronunciation guide: Kiefer (KEE’-fer)
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 Christiana Kiefer
Christiana Kiefer serves as senior counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom, where she is a key member of the Center for Conscience Initiatives. Since joining ADF in 2012, Kiefer has worked to protect women's and girls' sports and has defended the bodily privacy rights of students. She has also worked to protect the constitutionally protected freedom of churches, Christian schools, and Christian ministries to exercise their faith without government interference. Kiefer earned her J.D. in 2010 from Oak Brook College of Law and Government Policy, where she graduated first in her class and served as a teaching assistant in criminal law. Also in 2010, Kiefer completed the ADF leadership development program to become a Blackstone Fellow. She is admitted to the state bar of California, the U.S. Supreme Court, and numerous federal district and appellate courts.