Alabama Republican Gov. Kay Ivey signed the What is a Woman Act later Thursday, Fox News has learned – the bill will codify sex-at-birth into law.
Alabama Republican Gov. Kay Ivey has signed a new bill that she says answers a simple question: What is a woman?
The bill from state Rep. Susan DuBose, R-Leeds, and Sen. April Weaver, R-Alabaster, would adjust state law to explicitly define “man,” “woman,” “boy,” “girl,” “father,” “mother,” “male,” female” and “sex.”
It cleared the legislature in Montgomery on Wednesday.
“If the Good Lord made you a boy, you’re a boy. And if He made you a girl, you’re a girl,” Ivey said in a signing statement from the Capitol.
“In Alabama, we believe there are two genders: Male and female. There is nothing complicated or controversial about it.”
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“Today, I was proud to officially answer the question “What is a Woman?” with my signature on Senate Bill 79. It did not take a biologist to figure it out.”
In comments to Fox News Digital, Ivey said prior to the signing: “In Alabama, it does not take a biologist to answer the question: What is a woman?”
During Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation hearing, the jurist told Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn she could not define the term “woman.” “In this context – I’m not a biologist,” Brown Jackson said.
“There are only two genders: Male and female,” Ivey told Fox News Digital.
The law would require the government to collect vital statistics to identify a person’s sex at birth and “delete obsolete or unnecessary definitions and make nonsubstantive, technical revisions to update the existing code language to current style.”
“For purposes of state law, a ‘female’ is an individual whose biological reproductive system is designed to produce ova, and a ‘male’ is an individual whose biological reproductive system is designed to fertilize the ova of a female,” a draft of the bill published on a government site read.
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Alabama House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter told Fox News Digital on Thursday the Yellowhammer State is one that “refuses to back down from commonsense conservative values.”
“We believe boys should play against boys and girls should play against girls. We believe that men have no business using the girls’ restroom,” said Ledbetter, R-Rainsville.
Ledbetter said every human is made in the image of God and their gender is defined by Him.
“I am proud that the House has passed Rep. Susan DuBose’s ‘What Is a Woman Act’ and look forward to Governor Ivey signing it into law,” he said.
DuBose told Fox News Digital she is grateful to know that her children and future generations in Alabama will not have to worry about losing opportunities to men:
“I couldn’t be more thrilled to see this bill pass the legislature,” DuBose said.
“Alabamians know what a woman is, and we have fought hard to ensure our laws do too. I am grateful to all my colleagues for their support in finally getting this bill to Governor Ivey’s desk, and I look forward to watching her sign it into law.”
The bill does have its opponents, including the ACLU of Alabama.
“We oppose House Bill 405. The ‘What is a Woman’ Act seeks to answer a question that is contextualized by far more than biological gender norms that this bill seeks to codify,” a statement from the group read.
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“The bill establishes a stringent assertion of the definition of a man or woman that completely cuts transgender people out of the picture. This bill attempts to place antiquated gender assumptions as a rule of law.”
The group added that the legislation will make it more difficult for transgender people to “authentically” live life.
Democrats, including state Reps. Barbara Drummond of Mobile and Napoleon Bracy of Pritchard, also objected to the bill only being slated for 10 minutes of floor debate.
The Blackburn-Jackson incident and ensuing public debate also led conservative commentator Matt Walsh to produce a documentary on the matter called “What is a Woman?”
When the issue first came up in the Jackson hearing, Blackburn said the jurist being unable to give a “straight answer” about “something as fundamental as what a woman is” underscores the dangers of progressive education.
Blackburn suggested that biological male athletes should not be allowed to compete against women.
