Kevin Stitt becomes the first U.S. governor to outline a definition for ‘woman’
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt became the first U.S. governor to issue an executive order legally defining what constitutes biological male and female sex in a move to preserve women’s rights on Aug. 1.
“I am taking decisive executive action to ensure the true definition of the word ‘woman,’ meaning a biological woman, is what guides the state as we reaffirm our commitment to ensuring the safety, dignity, and sanctity of women across Oklahoma,” a press release from Mr. Stitt’s office read.
“As long as I am governor, we will continue to protect women and ensure women-only spaces are reserved solely for biological women.”
“We don’t feel that this legislation serves the totality of all Oklahomans,” Dorothy Ballard, executive director of Oklahomans for Equality, told The Epoch Times.
Mr. Stitt’s order contains language from two bills currently stalled in the Legislature.
SB 408, sponsored by state Sen. Jessica Garvin, has passed the Senate and is waiting to be sent to the Oklahoma House of Representatives. HB 1449, sponsored by state Rep. Toni Hasenbeck, has cleared the House.
Neither made it to the full Legislature before the end of the 2023 session.
They will likely be considered during the 2024 legislative session, Ms. Garvin told The Epoch Times. She said the Senate bill has bipartisan support and that she’s optimistic it will be signed into law.
“The [Senate] bill was drafted originally by bipartisan groups working with the Independent Women’s Forum,” Ms. Garvin said.
Mr. Stitt’s office didn’t respond to an email requesting comment.
Mr. Stitt’s order enacts language directly from the bills. The order defines a female as “a natural person … whose biological reproductive system is designed to produce ova.”
A male is defined as “a natural person … whose biological reproductive system is designed to fertilize the ova of a female.”
The order also defines mother, father, man, boy, woman, girl, sex, and natural person. The executive order requires all state agencies, including public schools, to use the listed definitions when determining an individual’s sex.
It also requires them to provide “governmental services in single-sex environments where biology, privacy, and personal dignity are implicated.”
“Prisons and other correctional facilities are directed to provide dedicated facilities for men and women respectively. Likewise, schools are directed to provide dedicated restrooms and locker room facilities for boys and girls, respectively,” the executive order reads.
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