Maine state representative Laurel Libby has had her speaking rights restored by lawmakers, five months after being silenced for exposing a trans athlete online.
In February, Maine legislature voted to silence the Republican state lawmaker, who represents Auburn, after she revealed the winner of a state championship pole vaulting competition had finished fifth in a male event two years earlier.
Libby shared unblurred images of the student, named them and circled them – sparking outrage among some across the state.
The Supreme Court restored Libby’s voting rights on May 20 after she responded with a lawsuit. But her speaking rights had not been brought back, until Wednesday.
She said she didn’t know for certain why her rights had suddenly returned but believes it could be due to a shift in public opinion over trans athletes in women’s sports.
‘Democrats know that they are losing on this issue, that the majority of not just Mainers, but Americans, do not agree with their extreme stance allowing biological males to participate in girls’ sports,’ she said in a video on X.
Maine state representative Laurel Libby had her speaking rights restored by lawmakers
Libby made a post to Facebook last week of a transgender student standing on a podium after winning a girls state championship pole vaulting competition (pictured)
‘They know they’re losing on that issue, they know that they’re losing in the courts regarding my lawsuit that I filed… and so they caved because they know they’re losing and this is the best way for them to save face.’
After her controversial post back in February, Libby was called to a censure meeting where Maine House’s Democratic majority passed a resolution finding her in ‘clear violation’ of the code of ethics.
‘I will not be silenced and I will not allow the voices of Maine girls to be silenced,’ Libby said on X following the vote to censor her at the time.
Reflecting on the issue now, the 43-year-old Libby said on social media: ‘When I spoke up back in February it was in defense of Maine women and girls who deserve a fair and safe and level playing field.
‘I was punished, political retaliation, for that. Today, Democrats put forward a house resolution to restore my voice and my vote.
‘The Democrats caved. They caved because they know they are losing.’
Donald Trump repeatedly vowed to remove trans athletes from women’s sports on the election trail last year before his sweeping victory over the Democrats and Kamala Harris last November.
He signed an executive order on February 5 titled ‘Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports’ barring transgender athletes from women’s sports.
Libby (right) pictured alongside Riley Gaines, a vociferous campaigner against trans athletes
The order uses Title IX, a law against sex discrimination in taxpayer-funded education programs, to ban transgender girls and women from participating in female school sports activities.
It authorizes the Education Department to penalize schools that allow transgender athletes to compete, citing noncompliance with Title IX, which prohibits sexual discrimination in schools.
Any school found in violation could potentially be ineligible for federal funding.
