In a recent interview on WGAN’s “Inside Maine” State Representative Laurel Libby discussed the fallout from her viral Facebook post highlighting the participation of a transgender athlete in Maine’s girls’ high school sports. Libby’s post, which included side-by-side photos of the athlete competing as a male the previous year and then as a female this year, sparked a national reaction. “I certainly didn’t expect it to go viral like it did,” Libby said. “But in hindsight, I’m really not surprised, because I think we all recognize that the vast majority of the population doesn’t support biological males in girls sports.”

The issue has become a flashpoint, with Libby’s Democratic colleagues in the Maine legislature voting to censure her, stripping her of voting rights until she apologizes. Libby said the censure was a “bogus excuse” to avoid the policy discussion. “The Democrats in Augusta don’t want to have that conversation, because they know on the policy they lose.” Libby plans to pursue legal action to regain her voting and speaking rights, arguing that her constituents have been disenfranchised. “I have 9000 citizens in my district who have been disenfranchised by a simple majority vote. That is, it’s unconscionable, actually, that the Democrat majority would be able to silence a sitting legislator and disenfranchise my entire district.”

Beyond the transgender sports issue, Libby discussed her work on other legislative priorities, including a voter ID referendum that will appear on the November ballot. She expressed confidence that voter ID will prevail, despite opposition from Democrats. As the debate over transgender participation in women’s sports continues, Libby’s case highlights the political tensions surrounding the issue in Maine and across the country.