North Carolina Law Recognizes Only Male and Female Sexes
North Carolina’s new law recognizes only male and female sexes, restricting transgender rights and imposing additional limitations on healthcare and education.
RALEIGH, NC — A new North Carolina law taking effect Jan. 1 officially recognizes only two sexes, male and female, following the passage of House Bill 805, which Republican lawmakers have said enshrines “common sense” concepts.
Originally introduced to protect individuals from having explicit content posted online, the bill was later expanded to include conservative restrictions affecting transgender rights, K-12 education, and healthcare access. Democratic Gov. Josh Stein vetoed the legislation in July, calling it part of “divisive, job-killing culture wars,” but the General Assembly overrode his veto.
Under HB 805, a person’s gender identity cannot be treated as legally equivalent to biological sex, and transgender residents who update their birth certificates must retain a copy of their original record. The law also bans state funding for gender-affirming care in prisons and expands parental and legal controls related to education and healthcare.
Daniel Siegel of the ACLU called the measure “designed to punish” transgender, nonbinary, and intersex individuals, asserting that it denies their existence.
Previously, the UOJ reported that Pope Leo X had a jubilee lunch with Catholic transgender activists.
