Nebraska legislators have passed the “Stand With Women Act” to preserve female sports, restricting transgender males from women’s teams, as Governor Pillen prepares to sign it into law.

At a Glance

• Nebraska’s Legislative Bill 89, known as the “Stand With Women Act,” passed the Senate with a 33-16 vote
• The bill restricts transgender-identifying males from participating on female sports teams
• Governor Jim Pillen has expressed strong support and intends to sign the measure into law
• Republican Senator Loren Lippencott framed the bill as “opening the right doors” rather than exclusion
• Nebraska joins over two dozen states with similar legislation protecting women’s sports

Nebraska Senate Approves Landmark Sports Legislation

Nebraska lawmakers have taken a definitive step to protect women’s and girls’ sports by passing Legislative Bill 89, known as the “Stand With Women Act.” The bill, which cleared the state Senate with a 33-16 vote after an emotional debate, specifically bars transgender-identifying males from participating on female sports teams. The legislation requires students to participate in sports based on their biological sex assigned at birth, a move supporters say preserves fair competition in women’s athletics. Nebraska now stands to join more than two dozen other states that have enacted similar protections for female athletes.

The Nebraska School Activities Association has confirmed it will adhere to the law once it receives final approval. The measure passed along largely partisan lines, with most Republican lawmakers supporting the bill as a necessary protection for female athletes. While the debate was brief, it highlighted the deeply divided perspectives on transgender participation in school sports, with supporters focusing on competitive fairness and opponents raising concerns about inclusivity.

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Governor’s Strong Support and Rationale

Governor Jim Pillen has been an outspoken proponent of the legislation and has confirmed his intention to sign it into law. In his public statements, Pillen has emphasized the importance of maintaining a level competitive field for female athletes. The governor views the bill as a common-sense measure that will benefit Nebraska’s female athletes by ensuring they compete only against other biological females.

Republican state Senator Loren Lippencott, who championed the bill, has framed the legislation not as an exclusionary measure but as one that creates appropriate athletic opportunities. According to Lippencott, the bill recognizes biological differences between males and females and establishes proper channels for athletic participation. This approach, he argues, maintains competitive integrity while acknowledging scientific realities.

Opposition and Broader Context

Despite its passage, the bill has faced significant opposition from LGBTQ+ advocacy groups and some Democratic lawmakers. Senator Megan Hunt criticized the legislation as “political theater” that misuses Title IX protections. Organizations including OutNebraska and the ACLU of Nebraska have voiced concerns that the bill sends a negative message to transgender youth and restricts their ability to fully participate in school communities.

“This isn’t about exclusion, it’s about ensuring our daughters, sisters, and friends have a level playing field,” said Sen. Loren Lippincott. “LB89 recognizes a simple scientific truth: biological males and females are different.”

The Nebraska debate mirrors similar discussions happening nationwide. On the federal level, former President Donald Trump previously signed an executive order titled “Keeping Men out of Women’s Sports” that aimed to protect female athletes through funding mechanisms. That order instructed federal departments to review and potentially rescind funding from educational programs that do not comply with gender-specific sports policies. Nebraska’s legislation represents a state-level approach to addressing the same concerns about competitive fairness in women’s sports.