Riley Gaines Act becomes law in West Virginia: ‘Common sense’

March 14, 2025

West Virginia is the latest state to prohibit men who identify as women from using sex-segregated spaces designated for women with Governor Patrick Morrisey signing the Riley Gaines Act into law.

The Christian Post reports that the law is named after collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines who spoke out after being forced to compete against and share a locker room with a male swimmer who pretends to be a woman.

Gaines was present when Gov. Morrisey signed the legislation into law on Wednesday.

In a statement, Morrisey said, “Today, we sent a strong message that West Virginia stands with women. West Virginia will not bow down to radical gender ideology – we are going to lead with common sense, and the Riley Gaines Act does exactly that.”

The Riley Gaines Act, also known as Senate Bill 456, was passed by a vote of 32-1 in the West Virginia State Senate and also passed the West Virginia House of delegates by a 90-8 vote.

Both legislative bodies are controlled by Republicans and nearly all opposition to the measure came from the Democratic side with one Democratic senator joining Republicans in supporting the bill.

According to the Christian Post, the measure clarifies that “there are only two sexes, and every individual is either male or female.”

The law requires educational institutions including public schools and institutions of higher education as well as domestic violence shelters and prisons to ensure that “restrooms, multiple occupancy restrooms or changing rooms, and sleeping quarters” are designated for either males or females as defined by state law.

Opponents to the law say the measure is “an attempt to force trans people back into the closet.”

West Virginia is the 17th state to require individuals to use sex-segregated spaces that align with their biological sex rather than their stated gender identity.

Photo: top, Credit: The Christian Post/Nicole Alcindor