Missouri becomes 22nd state to protect women's sports
The following quote may be attributed to Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Christiana Kiefer regarding Missouri Gov. Mike Parson’s signing Wednesday of SB 39, a bill that protects athletic opportunities for female athletes from grade school to college by ensuring they are not forced to compete against men playing on women’s sports teams:
“Girls deserve equal opportunities to experience the thrill of victory. We commend Missouri for becoming the 22nd state to ensure women and girls can compete on a level playing field. The increasing incidents nationwide of males dominating girls’ athletic competitions demonstrate that when the law ignores biological differences, it’s women and girls who bear the brunt of the harm. In light of the Biden administration’s recent attacks on women’s sports, it’s imperative that states continue to step up and affirm that biology, not identity, is what matters in athletics. We are grateful to Gov. Parson and the Missouri Legislature for enacting these critical protections. Thanks to their strong stand, Missouri’s female athletes from grade school to college will not face the losses that come with allowing males to compete in women’s sports.”
The following quote may be attributed to Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Matt Sharp, director of the ADF Center for Legislative Advocacy, regarding Parson’s signing Wednesday of SB 49, a bill that protects children from dangerous, life-altering medical procedures:
“Denying the truth that we are either male or female hurts real people, especially vulnerable children. By enacting this legislation, Missouri has taken a critical step toward protecting children and parents from being pressured into so-called ‘gender transition’ surgeries and drugs. Young people deserve to live in a society that doesn’t subject them to risky experiments to which they cannot effectively consent, including life-altering, often-sterilizing surgeries and drugs. That’s why other countries, like Sweden, England, and Finland, are adopting policies that better protect children from the bad science that has already devastated countless lives. We commend Gov. Parson and the Missouri Legislature for standing for truth and stopping the injection of political agendas into the health care system by working to protect our children.”
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.
ABOUT Matt Sharp
Matt Sharp serves as senior counsel with Alliance Defending Freedom, where he is the director of the Center for Public Policy. In this role, he leads ADF's team of policy experts as they craft legislation and advise government officials on policies that promote free speech, religious freedom, parental rights, and the sanctity of human life. Since joining ADF in 2010, Sharp has authored federal and state legislation, regularly provides testimony and legal analysis on how proposed legislation will impact constitutional freedoms, and advises governors, legislators, and state and national policy organizations on the importance of laws and policies that protect First Amendment rights. He has twice testified before the U.S. Congress on the importance of protecting free speech and religious liberty in federal law. Sharp also authored an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of nearly 9,000 students, parents, and community members asking the court to uphold students’ right to privacy against government intrusion. Sharp earned his J.D. in 2006 from the Vanderbilt University School of Law. A member of the bar in Georgia and Tennessee, he is also admitted to practice in several federal courts.