Maine judge upholds block of anti-trans initiative on November ballot

On Thursday, a high court judge upheld blocking a referendum on transgender athletes on the November ballot. maine public.

The proposal, released by Protect Girls Sports in Maine, aims to restrict transgender school athletes from competing only on teams that match their sex assigned at birth, or on co-ed teams. It would also force “men” and “women” to use separate locker rooms, toilets, and showers.

The movement gained momentum in February when the group filed a petition with nearly 80,000 signatures to put the measure on the ballot. This was initially approved by Secretary of State Shenna Bellows. However, opponents quickly challenged the validity of many signatures.

In May, after reviewing the petitions and holding a public hearing that included both parties, Deputy Secretary of State Catherine McBrien recommended invalidating more than 12,500 signatures, citing multiple issues, including forged signatures, failure by those circulating the petition to submit proper documentation, duplicate signatures, and signatures not matching local voter registration records. Bellows agreed with McBrien’s recommendation and blocked the measure from reaching voters in November.

Maine Secretary of State Shena BellowsMaine.gov

Protect Girls Sports appealed the ruling in Maine Superior Court, arguing that Bellows, a Democrat currently seeking the gubernatorial nomination, overstepped his constitutional authority and denied the petition signers’ right to free speech. And this Thursday, 13 page judgmentSuperior Court Judge Deborah Cashman rejected the group’s appeal and upheld Bellows’ earlier blocking of the initiative.

In response, organizers issued a statement saying they would continue to fight to get the measure on the ballot.

”[Protect Girls’ Sports] “We are committed to continuing our efforts to ensure that Maine people vote on the Women’s Sports Protection Act in the November general election. The committee remains confident in its challenge to the Secretary’s decision and will seek review by the Maine Supreme Judicial Court,” the group said in a statement.

Under the state’s anti-discrimination protections, current Maine law allows students to compete on teams that align with their gender identity rather than the sex assigned at birth. However, the policy has caused intense debate, with opponents arguing that allowing transgender women to play on women’s sports teams violates the civil rights of female athletes, citing biological differences based on gender that affect factors such as strength and speed.

“This rule is in place to ensure that voters can trust that questions are fair and squarely eligible when they appear on the ballot,” said David Farmer, the party’s campaign manager. Campaign for Free and Fair Schools. “And that wasn’t the case in this case. They took some shortcuts and ended up sticking their hands in the cookie jar.”