RALEIGH, NC — A broad bipartisan coalition of advocates joined Independent Women—including North Carolina Faith and Freedom, Women’s Liberation Front, NC Family Policy Council, North Carolina Physicians for Freedom, athletes Riley Gaines, Payton McNabb, Megan Burke, detransitioner Prisha Mosley, and 729 North Carolina signers of the Women’s Bill of Rights Declaration —in sending a coalition letter to the North Carolina legislature urging members to override Governor Stein’s veto of HB 805.

The override vote is scheduled for Tuesday, July 29th. The bill would codify sex definitions into law—codifying the definitions of female and male terms in state law to prevent sex discrimination and protect legislative transparency. 

The coalition letter reflects the shared commitment of organizations and individuals from across the ideological spectrum to uphold the legal definition of sex-based terms—affirming biological reality and ensuring protections for women’s privacy, safety, and equal opportunity in law and policy.

The letter states that overriding the veto North Carolina will:

  • Join 17 other states in restoring truth to language by defining “woman” and “man” in law; 
  • Empower parents to safeguard their children’s education;
  • Uphold transparency in medical practices involving minors; and,
  • Protect the existence of single-sex spaces like locker rooms, prisons, and shelters.

The letter states:

“We ask that you please vote ‘YES’ when the override of HB 805 is before you. We know that 86% of Americans believe that men and women are legally equal but not biologically the same. There is near unanimous consent that biological differences are real and your constituents will thank you for overriding the Governor’s veto.  The people of North Carolina are counting on you to stand strong and defend common sense.”

Read the full coalition letter HERE.

The coalition includes a broad spectrum of organizations and individuals—Independent Women sports ambassadors, detransitioners, parental advocates, Women’s Bill of Rights Declaration signers,  and North Carolina state-based policy groups—united by one principle: sex matters in law and policy. 

Payton McNabb, Independent Women ambassador and former North Carolina high school athlete, said: “Governor Stein had a choice: stand with North Carolina girls or stand with divisive gender ideology. He chose the latter, but our legislature can still do what’s right. A veto override would send a powerful message that North Carolina refuses to abandon its women and girls for the sake of political correctness. Our state’s elected officials can make clear that they believe women and girls deserve boundaries and protections that reflect our biological reality—not someone else’s self-declared unscientific identity. They can stand for common sense and make it clear that sex-based protections still matter, and that what happened to me will never be allowed to happen again in North Carolina.”

McNabb’s op-ed in the Carolina Journal this week outlines the stakes.

“NC Family is extremely grateful for the General Assembly’s passage of House Bill 805. We, along with families across North Carolinians, trust that lawmakers in the State House and Senate will once again take a stand to protect women and children from the harms of pornography, define male and female according to biological sex, and reinforce parental rights in education by overriding Governor Stein’s veto of this incredibly important pro-family bill,” said John L. Rustin, President of NC Family Policy Council.

“North Carolina’s HB 805 is a solid bill that protects women and girls’ rights to private spaces and prevents sexual exploitation of women and minors. It establishes age-verification for pornography, as have 25 other states. Women’s Liberation Front supported similar legislation in other states, and have helped defend these laws in court. We hope to see North Carolina move assertively to protect its women and children,” said Sharon Byrne, Executive Director of Women’s Liberation Front.

“Governor Stein’s veto of HB 805 ignores biological reality and puts women and girls at risk. This bill simply defines “male” and “female” based on anatomy which is essential for protecting fairness in sports, privacy in restrooms, and safety in shelters and prisons. We strongly encourage the General Assembly to override the veto and stand for truth, safety, and common sense,” said Jason Williams, Executive Director of NC Faith and Freedom Coalition.

“As trusted medical professionals, we require clear, concise and correct information to provide the best care for our patients. The biological differences between males and females has long been settled in science and biology. Using a nebulous term such as “gender” instead of sex to designate males and females is confusing, illogical and threatens our ability to correctly and coherently diagnose and treat our patients,” said Dianna Lightfoot, Policy Director at North Carolina Physicians for Freedom. 

“I encourage North Carolina legislators to vote yes on House Bill 805 and stand by North Carolina women. Without these laws in place, men will continue to invade women’s sports and private spaces. Shame on Governor Stein for vetoing this bill and abandoning North Carolina women and girls. Unfortunately, without laws like these in place, girls and women will not be able to have the same opportunities that I was afforded as a track athlete at the University of North Carolina – a sport that shaped my entire life in such a positive way,” said Megan Burke, 2x NCAA Champion and American Record-Holder from the University of North Carolina and Independent Women’s Network chapter leader.

“Truth matters. Deceptive language is a form of lying, and medical professionals and government officials have no right to lie,” said Prisha Mosley, an ambassador for Independent Women from Murphy, North Carolina.

If the override of HB 805 succeeds, North Carolina will join Kansas, Tennessee, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Alabama, Iowa, Indiana, West Virginia, Wyoming, South Dakota, Montana, Georgia, and Texas in adopting laws inspired by Independent Women’s sex-definition model—positively affecting the lives of over 49 million women and girls. 

Direct all press inquiries to [email protected] 

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