Earlier this month, Republican Governor Tate Reeves (pictured above) signed the Securing Areas for Females Effectively and Responsibly (SAFER) Act (SB 2753).
The legislation builds on the Mississippi Fairness Act, passed into law in 2021, which was also signed by Gov. Reeves. That law prevents boys from competing in girls' and women's sports, but the SAFER Act codifies the biological definitions of a woman and a man into state law.
"Sex" is now defined as "clinically verified at birth" as male and female, which are "objective and fixed" without any "regard to fluidity of how someone acts or feels." A "female" is a person who "naturally" has, will have, or would have had "the reproductive system that at some point produces eggs," and a "male" is a person who "naturally" has, will have, or would have had "the reproductive system that at some point produces sperm."
The measure also provides protections for women within single-sex spaces, such as restrooms, changing facilities, and public student housing.
After it was allowed to die while in conference, public outcry revived it late in the session. Both chambers soon passed suspension resolutions to bring the bill back up for consideration, and ultimately, the Senate (33-8) and the House (85-29) overwhelmingly approved the measure.
The Magnolia State is also among the 26 that are suing the Biden administration over its Title IX changes that demand obedience to transgender ideology.
"Mississippi is doing the right thing not only in passing the legislation, but in challenging the Biden administration's lawless interpretation, or attempted interpretation, of Title IX," says Mat Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel.
He especially applauds the SAFER Act's inclusion of a "private enforcement" option, which allows victims to bring legal action against violators.
"I think the private enforcement option is very good, and I think we're going to start to see that in a lot of legislation," the attorney predicts. "You don't have to then rely upon the government's action or inaction; you can actually take matters into your own hands."
The law immediately went into effect when it was signed on May 13. Opponents have labeled it as an anti-transgender bill that targets an extreme minority, and Democratic lawmakers have warned that lawsuits are likely to follow.
