New Law Takes Effect as North Carolina Defines Sex as Male and Female
RALEIGH, N.C. – North Carolina is stepping into the new year with a move that’s already causing controversy across the state and beyond.
Starting Thursday, North Carolina law will officially define sex as only male or female, based strictly on biological sex rather than gender identity. The change comes from House Bill 805, a bill that has been quietly sitting on the books but is now fully enforceable as the calendar turns.
The law makes its stance unmistakably clear, stating that gender identity “shall not be treated as legally or biologically equivalent to sex.” Supporters argue the language brings clarity to state law, while critics say it erases transgender and nonbinary people from legal recognition.
What’s fueling even more outrage is how the legislation evolved.
When House Bill 805 was first introduced, Democrats largely supported it, believing the bill focused on protecting women and minors from sexual exploitation online. That support collapsed once Republicans added provisions redefining sex and gender, transforming what many believed was a public safety bill into a flashpoint in the culture wars.
During tense debate on the Senate floor in July, Democratic Sen. Sophia Chitlik said lawmakers tried repeatedly to strip the gender language from the bill and restore its original intent. She said Democrats proposed amendments in committee, pushed changes on the floor, and even staged protest votes, but every attempt failed.
The controversy soon reached Governor Josh Stein, who vetoed the bill in July. Stein criticized the legislation as divisive and accused lawmakers of stoking culture wars instead of focusing on issues that unite North Carolinians.
That veto, however, didn’t stick.
Republican lawmakers overrode Stein’s decision, allowing the law to stand.
1 thought on “North Carolina Defines Sex as Male and Female Under New Law”
Great stuff!