Two more states enacted laws this week protecting women’s safety and privacy in single-sex spaces.
Mississippi
On Thursday, March 20, 2025, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves signed a bill protecting female inmates by prohibiting males from invading their spaces – including in changing rooms, sleeping quarters, and restrooms – in correctional facilities.
The bill (HB 188) stipulates that every multi-occupancy restroom, changing room and sleeping quarter within a correctional facility “shall be designated for exclusive use of: males or females.”
HB 188 was passed by the Mississippi House of Representatives on February 10 in a bipartisan, 103-4 vote; it passed the state Senate on March 7 in a unanimous 48-0 vote.
The bill defines a female as:
It defines a male as:
The bill also grants women a private cause of action (the right to sue) against correctional facilities if they encounter men in their restrooms or changing rooms, or if they are forced to share sleeping quarters with men.
Alliance Defending Freedom Legal Counsel Sara Beth Nolan issued a statement applauding the governor’s decision to sign the bill.
“States have a duty to protect the privacy, safety, and dignity of women,” Nolan said. “Letting men intrude into women’s spaces is an invasion of privacy, a threat to their safety, and a denial of the real biological differences between the two sexes.”
South Dakota
On Friday, March 21, 2025, South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden signed HB 1259, a bill prohibiting men from entering women’s spaces – including changing rooms, sleeping quarters and restrooms – in public schools and public buildings.
The South Dakota state Senate passed the bill in a 27-6 vote on March 10; the state House of Representatives approved the bill one day later in a 58-9 vote.
Nolan also issued a statement applauding Gov. Rhoden’s signing of HB 1259:
We thank the legislators, activists and governors in Mississippi and South Dakota for working to protect girls and women in their states.
Biology is not bigotry. Ensuring that girls and women have separate locker rooms, restrooms and sleeping quarters – and aren’t forced to share sleeping quarters with male prisoners – is pure common sense.
Let’s hope, pray and advocate for more states to soon follow suit.
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