Submitted by Liberty Belles
Members of the Liberty Belles, a conservative women’s group in Fishers, will hold a protest in front of the State Capitol at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 17 to object to Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb’s veto of House Bill 1041, which would have prevented biological boys from competing in girls sports in Indiana schools.
The demonstration is being called the “Grannies against Boys in Girls’ Sports” protest.
Liberty Belles Coordinator Lynne Goodin said, “With a Republican like Governor Holcomb in office, who needs Democrats?”
Both houses of the Indiana General Assembly passed the legislation to prevent biological boys from competing in girls sports in March 2022. The bill states “a male, based on a student’s biological sex at birth in accordance with the student’s genetics and reproductive biology, may not participate on an athletic team or sport designated under this section as being a female, women’s or girls’ athletic team or sport.” The bill would also protect schools and athletic associations from liability for enforcing the legislation.
In his March 21, 2022, veto letter, Holcomb said, 1) the bill is “unclear about how consistency and fairness will be maintained,” 2) “of the several states that have passed similar legislation, lawsuits have been filed or threatened to be filed,” 3) “not a single case of a male seeking to participate on a female team has completed the process established [by the current policy].”
Later in May, the General Assembly is holding a special session to tie up loose legislative ends and to address the veto to House Bill 1041. “House Republicans will vote to override this veto when lawmakers meet again on May 24,” House Speaker Todd Huston (R-Fishers) said. Other state legislatures have overridden vetoes to similar bills, including Utah in March.
The Liberty Belles say they do not see any confusion in the bill, and that even though a male has not sought to compete on a female team, it might happen tomorrow. The Belles say they are not concerned about other states, their laws or lawsuits filed against other states’ laws. However, they do say they are anxious about their granddaughters and all other girls in Indiana facing unfair competition in sports against biological males. If the bill is signed into law and consistency and fairness become a concern, the Belles say that’s what the courts are for.
The Liberty Belles organized in late 2021. Their mission is “to promote and preserve the conservative principles upon which our country was founded. The group is pro-life, pro-family, and pro-America.” It consists of women who live in a 55-and-over neighborhood in Fishers. Currently there are 35 members who meet monthly and call themselves a political action committee without money.
Early in 2022, several members say they learned of pornographic books being placed in the pre-teen section of the Hamilton East Public Library. After voicing their concerns at two library board meetings, the books were moved to the adult section of the library.
At their March 2022 meeting, they invited Republican candidates on the May 3 Indiana primary ballot to speak. They are now campaigning for the truly conservative candidates.
Biodiversity exists everywhere in life. There will never be a truly fair playing field. Height can be an advantage in many sports, being petite just as much of an advantage in other sports (like gymnastics), and general genetic makeup plays a huge role. Then there are socioeconomic considerations – schools that can afford to hire better coaches; have better gyms and training facilities; parents who have the financial resources for kids to play on travel teams, hire private coaches, pay for the best equipment. If the issue is that this makes sports unfair… then where is the outcry from the Fishers grandmothers that student athletes in Fishers have an unfair advantage to some low income schools in Indianapolis who don’t have the same resources? Arguably, that is a far greater issue of concern in terms of leveling the playing field.
C, you have it wrong. Allowing male born boys into girls sports is completely “unfair and unreasonable” because these wanna be girls who are boys can compete with the boys OR the wanna be girls who are boys can start their OWN team and leagues. This is not biodiversity. It’s trespassing into an area with definite boundaries – girls who are born as girls and boys who are born as boys. Stay within your area of which you were born and stop intimidating the other sex that you are not.
Other species of animals actually have been shown to have trans proclivities – including sex changing abilities as well. So, yes, C is correct that this is another form of biodiversity. Whether or not you agree with the policies surrounding trans athletes or not is another thing, but that particular statement is accurate.
” … and that even though a male has not sought to compete on a female team, it might happen tomorrow.”
So much for the premise that with age comes wisdom, Grandma.
Authoring & passing legislation to counter a contrived ‘threat’ that doesn’t exist is the epitome of pandering to an uninformed base caught up in culture wars being marketed to gullible suckers lacking independent reasoning ability, a conservative hallmark as of late.
Shame on the Republicans of the state legislature for wasting energy on such folly while Indiana languishes near the bottom nationally of most every metric measuring quality of life in this state.
Wisdom damn sure does not come with being a
“Liberal” demoncrat.
Sorry, I disagree. There is no such creature that is 1 1/2 X 1/2Y.
Boys XX should play with XX, and girls XY play with XY. That is biology.
This argument about boys/girls is part of the democratic WOKE desire to destroy our American culture. If for no other reason we must oppose it.
As to republicans wasting money— yeh we should return to voter ID, in person, on the day of the election, not months in advance, not fake ballots in mail/ballot collection boxes.
‘ The Liberty Belles organized in late 2021. Their mission is ; to promote and preserve the conservative principles upon which our country was founded. ‘
Conservative principles ?
Baloney.
There’s few events in history that have been as radical as the creation of an independent American nation.
The War of Independence was fought over the very unconventional notion of freedom, about as far removed from conservative principles as one could possibly get in the eighteenth century. Liberal even.
The Belles should’ve at least read the Bill of Rights ( or paid attention in history class ) prior to penning their mission statement.
History doesn’t change to conform to one’s outrage du jour of the month.
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Wiley, well said and I will also add the polls will close at midnight on election night in each and every state of the US. No extending of time for so called late mail in ballots. Mail in ballots should be used only for out of country military, nursing or assisted living seniors with reliable family help in voting and if you are a poll worker.