HELENA, Mont. – Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte signed two bills into law Thursday that protect women and girls’ privacy, safety, and athletic opportunities. The first bill, HB 121, protects women and girls by prohibiting men from entering into women’s spaces—such as changing rooms, sleeping quarters, and restrooms—and requiring public schools, correctional facilities, public buildings, and domestic violence shelters to safeguard women’s safety and privacy in these spaces. The second bill, HB 300, strengthens protections for female athletes of all ages, ensuring they are not forced to share intimate spaces with males or compete against males on their sports teams.
“Montana is right to protect the privacy, safety, and dignity of women and girls, and to ensure that female athletes of all ages continue to have a fair and level playing field,” said ADF Senior Counsel Matt Sharp, director of the ADF Center for Public Policy. “Letting men intrude into women’s spaces and on their sports teams is an invasion of privacy, a threat to their safety, and a denial of the real biological differences between the sexes. ADF commends Rep. Kerri Seekins-Crowe, Sen. John Fuller, Sen. Sue Vinton, Speaker Brandon Ler, and Senate President Matt Regier for their leadership in passing these critical bills. We also thank the Independent Women’s Voice and the Montana Family Foundation for their work in this effort. By signing this legislation into law, Gov. Gianforte is protecting Montanans for generations to come.”
“Standing alongside our partners in Montana and across the country, I am proud to safeguard privacy and security for women and girls—because a man shouldn’t be in a women’s restroom, shouldn’t be in a women’s shower room, and shouldn’t be housed in a women’s prison,” Gianforte said. “Today, we’re maintaining equal opportunity for all Americans, protecting women and girls and their right to safe and separate facilities and activities.”
“With Governor Gianforte signing House Bill 121 and House Bill 300 into law, the rights of women and girls in Montana are safeguarded against the efforts to legally eradicate the difference between the sexes,” said Beth Parlato, senior legal advisor for Independent Women’s Voice. “This law tells Montana girls that their privacy, safety, and well-being matter, and they are deserving of protection. We applaud the efforts of our coalition partners, Alliance Defending Freedom and the Montana Family Foundation, for their dedication and determination to help get this bill passed.”
“The Montana Family Foundation applauds the Montana Legislature for the passage of HB 300 and HB 121, which represent a critical step in protecting the safety, dignity, and privacy of women and girls across Montana,” said Jeff Laszloffy, CEO of Montana Family Foundation. “These bills reinforce the fundamental right of females to compete fairly in athletics and to have access to private restrooms, locker rooms, and sleeping quarters, free from unnecessary intrusion. By ensuring that biological distinctions are upheld in educational and public spaces, we are safeguarding opportunities for women and maintaining essential protections for Montana families. The Montana Family Foundation thanks the sponsor of these bills, Rep. Kerri Seekins-Crowe for bringing these measures, which reflect our state’s commitment to common sense, fairness, and the well-being of future generations.”
Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization committed to protecting religious freedom, free speech, parental rights, and the sanctity of life.
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