Nebraska’s Republican Gov. Jim Pillen on Wednesday signed an executive order strictly defining a person’s sex.
The order notably does not use the term “transgender,” although it appears directed at limiting transgender access to certain public spaces. It orders state agencies to define “female” and “male” as a person’s sex assigned at birth.
“It is common sense that men do not belong in women’s only spaces,” Pillen said in a statement. “As Governor, it is my duty to protect our kids and women’s athletics, which means providing single-sex spaces for women’s sports, bathrooms, and changing rooms.”
Most people aren’t trans, but anti-trans legislation still affects them. It doesn’t really matter who it affects more, because it is meant as a culture war, but also as a hate tactic to bully people. How do you check that someone is transgender? You really can’t. You could claim they are dressing a certain way that doesn’t match. You could claim they look like they have more of a hormonal type. You could claim they are acting a way that doesn’t match their assigned gender at birth.
But that’s the point. You can pick and choose who to apply this to.