This article was originally published by The Carolina Journal.
On July 3, North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein vetoed House Bill 805, a bill that — among other provisions — would have clarified what used to be universally understood: that there are only two sexes, male and female, and that this biological distinction matters in North Carolina law. It had just passed the legislature the previous week.
If North Carolina wants to be a true ally for girls’ and women’s rights, it must override Stein’s veto and pass the bill to define “male” and “female” based on biological sex. When the law refuses to define sex clearly, girls and women pay the price. I would know, because I’m one of those who paid this price.
In 2022, I was a high school volleyball player in North Carolina when a trans-identified male athlete on the opposing girls’ team spiked a ball so forcefully into my face that I was knocked unconscious on the court. I suffered a traumatic brain injury, neck trauma, and partial paralysis. My athletic career drastically changed, and I’m still not entirely myself to this day.
What happened to me wasn’t just a tragic accident. It was a bona fide policy failure. And guess what? It was entirely preventable. If the bill currently sitting in the hands of North Carolina lawmakers for a veto override vote had been law back then, that male athlete would have never been allowed on the girls’ team. I would have never been in that position. My life-changing injury would never have happened.
That’s what makes this bill so important, and it’s why Stein’s decision to veto the bill is not just disappointing — it’s dangerous. Turning this bill away is a betrayal of the young women he’s supposed to protect.
House Bill 805 does not target anyone. It does not take away anyone’s humanity or dignity. The bill simply affirms a biological reality, one we all used to learn in school: men and women are different. That’s not bigotry; it’s just common sense. And this distinction matters deeply when it comes to protecting sports, restrooms, locker rooms, domestic violence shelters, prisons, and any space where privacy, safety, and fairness are at stake. When we blur the definition of sex, girls lose. We lose our spaces, our scholarships, our peace of mind — and sometimes, like I did, our health.
The reason I began speaking out after my injury is because too many girls and women are being forced into silence — being told to sit down, be quiet, and smile while our rights are quietly eroded. We are told our safety isn’t truly at risk — that our concerns are exaggerated. We are asked to accept men in our locker rooms, in our sports, and in our private spaces.
The worst part? We’re supposed to pretend nothing is wrong. Well, something is wrong. What happened to me was wrong.
Gov. Stein had a choice: stand with North Carolina girls or stand with divisive gender ideology. He chose the latter. But our legislature can still do what’s right.
A veto override would send a powerful message that North Carolina refuses to abandon its women and girls for the sake of political correctness. Our state’s elected officials can make clear that they believe women and girls deserve boundaries and protections that reflect our biological reality — not someone else’s self-declared unscientific identity. They can stand for common sense and make it clear that sex-based protections still matter, and that what happened to me will never be allowed to happen again in North Carolina.
This shouldn’t be a partisan issue. No young girl, regardless of her politics, should be afraid to play the sport that brings her joy, the sport that makes her feel empowered and strong as a female athlete. No woman should have to surrender her privacy in the name of inclusivity gone too far.
I won’t stop beating this drum because I don’t want another girl to go through what I did. We have a chance to fix this. We have a chance to draw a line. I hope the North Carolina legislature has the courage to take it.
