Gov. Jim Pillen signs executive order defining male and female

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen signed an executive order on Wednesday that establishes definitions of male and female.

The Women’s Bill of Rights requires state agencies and public schools to refer to people according to their sex at birth in whatever data they collect.

Some are applauding Pillen, saying it will help preserve women-only spaces like domestic violence shelters.

“If they say this is a women-only shelter, that, in some states, means anyone who identifies as a woman can come in,” said Paula Scanlan, spokeswoman for Independent Women’s Voice, an advocacy group. “So in states like Nebraska now, when it says it’s a women shelter, it’s for people that are female.” 

The order applies to the executive branch, which includes state agencies. 

“The executive order will apply to all public schools and the University of Nebraska system,” said Grant Friedman, a legal fellow with the ACLU of Nebraska.  “However, because of the lack of specificity in that executive order, we don’t know exactly how the impacts will play out or how they will look like.”

Some say this order will harm transgender people in Nebraska.

“I can only imagine, being a kid in these spaces where you’re seeing the state, or the executive of the state, pass these laws, sign these executive orders that marginalize them further,” said Michael Marchek, chair of the Nebraska Stonewall Democratic Caucus.