LA governor vetoes bill to protect women's sports
The following quote may be attributed to Alliance Defending Freedom Legal Counsel Christiana Holcomb regarding Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards’ veto Tuesday of the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, a 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:
“We are disappointed by Gov. Edwards’s decision to ignore the best interests of women and girls and veto the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act. This legislation ensures that female athletes in Louisiana are able to compete on a level playing field. Allowing males to compete in girls’ sports is discriminatory and destroys fair competition and women’s athletic opportunities. We’ve seen increasing examples across the country of males dominating girls’ athletic competitions when competing as females, capturing championships and shattering long-standing female track records. While we are disappointed by the governor’s veto, we are thankful to Sen. Beth Mizell for sponsoring this important legislation and to Louisiana legislators for taking a strong stand for female athletes. We hope the legislature will override Gov. Edwards’ veto and join states like Florida, Arkansas, West Virginia, Montana, and Idaho that have codified protections for women’s sports into law.”
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.