FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 3rd, 2025
Contact: Ashley Vaughan
ashley@ncvalues.org

GOVERNOR STEIN’S VETO OF HB805 SHOWS HE DOESN’T KNOW WHAT A WOMAN IS

Today, Governor Josh Stein’s veto of HB 805—a vital piece of legislation passed by both chambers of the North Carolina General Assembly to protect the vulnerable and defend parents’ rights—shows that he is out of step with the values of the majority of North Carolinians.

“Today, Governor Stein refused to stop the sexual exploitation of women and children online, to stop government schools from forcing girls to share sleeping quarters with boys, to stop government schools from exposing children to obscene content against their parents’ wishes, and he denied victims of harmful gender transition procedures a path to justice.” said Tami Fitzgerald, Executive Director of the NC Values Coalition. “Instead of protecting the vulnerable, Stein is appeasing the radical block of his party that wants to force its sexual agenda on all of us. Stein is out of step with the values of the majority of North Carolinians.”

HB 805 contains provisions to protect women and children from sexual exploitation online, defend parents’ rights in education, preserve the dignity and safety of North Carolina women and girls, stop taxpayer dollars from funding gender transitioning for inmates, and allow victims of harmful gender transition procedures to receive justice.

Key Provisions of HB 805 Include:

  • Defining Biological Sex
    • The bill creates a legal definition of sex based on biology, not gender identity. This is in line with President Trump’s Executive Order, “Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.”
  • Protecting NC Girls in Private Spaces
    • Boys and girls in K-12 schools are prohibited from sharing the same sleeping quarters.
  • Improving Birth Certificate Integrity
    • Any amended birth certificate reflecting a sex change must be issued as a multi-page document that includes the original birth certificate and its biological sex designation.
  • Protecting Women and Minors from Sexual Exploitation
    • New standards are established for online platforms to verify the age and consent of all individuals appearing in pornographic content. Platforms that fail to comply face steep penalties.
  • Restricting State Funds for Sex-Transition Procedures
    • Effective July 1, 2025, state funds may not be used—directly or indirectly—for sex-transition surgeries, puberty blockers, or cross-sex hormones for inmates.
  • Upholding Parental Rights in Education
    • HB 805 ensures parents can opt their children out of instructional materials that conflict with their religious beliefs. It also mandates that school library catalogs be online, accessible, and searchable by parents and students alike and offers parents the right to identify library books that may not be borrowed by their student.
  • Protecting Victims of Medical Gender Transition Interventions
    • Extends the statute of limitations for suing a doctor for harmful gender transition procedures to 10 years from the date of discovery.

###