West VA Governor Signs Riley Gaines Act Into Law Defining Sex-based Terms Like ‘Woman’

Governor Patrick Morrisey signed the Riley Gaines Act into law on Wednesday, defining “male” and “female” by law to protect female-designated spaces like bathrooms and women’s sports from men pretending to be women.

Gaines, was present for the signing of the law and praised the measure for defining sex-based terms like “woman” in state statute to prevent unelected bureaucrats from twisting the word to mean what they want it to mean.

Beyond honored to stand next to @wvgovernor as he signed the Riley Gaines Act today

The Riley Gaines Act defines sex-based terms like “woman” in state statute

No more unelected bureaucrats reinterpreting these words to mean what they want them to meanhttps://t.co/gaVBllqkBC

— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) March 13, 2025

Gaines told Outkick, “There’s no bigger honor than having your name attached to something as foundational and significant as the defense of women’s rights and biological reality,” adding, “The majority of American people know what a woman is, and it’s time our laws do too.”

Gaines, an accomplished collegiate swimmer, has been an outspoken proponent of protecting women and their sex-designated spaces since she was forced to share locker room space and compete against a male swimmer who says he identifies as a woman.

The West Virginia measure requires educational institutions including public schools and institutions of higher education as well as domestic violence shelters and prisons to ensure that “restrooms, multiple occupancy restrooms or changing rooms, and sleeping quarters” are designated for either males or females as defined by state law.

Governor Morrisey described the Riley Gaines Act as “common sense” legislation and vowed to continue to protect young women and their safe spaces.

Opponents of the measure, such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of West Virginia, say the law is “an attempt to force trans people back into the closet” under “the guise of ‘defining’ men and women.”

The law makes West Virginia the 17th state to require individuals to use sex-segregated spaces that align with their biological sex rather than their stated gender identity.

According to Outkick, despite President Trump signing an executive order to protect women’s sports and spaces, a handful of states including California, Maine, Minnesota and Washington have refused to comply and are under investigation by the Dept. of Education for potential Title IX violations for allowing men to compete in women’s sports.

Gaines said, “Contrary to what some may think, given President Trump is back in the White House, the war on woke has not been won yet. There’s more work to be done, but leaders like President Trump and Governor Morrisey have paved the way.”