It doesn’t always pay to be honest. But at least you keep your soul.
Now a Republican got thrown in the dog house for standing up for one important truth.
Maine Lawmaker Faces Censure Over Transgender Sports Controversy
In a contentious move, Maine’s House of Representatives has stripped Rep. Laurel Libby, R-Maine, of her voting and speaking privileges after she publicly challenged the state’s policy allowing boys to participate in girls’ sports.
The censure, enacted in February, stemmed from a Facebook post where Libby shared a photo and the name of a male student athlete identifying as female, spotlighting the student’s victory in a girls’ championship.
Social Media Post Sparks Political Firestorm
Libby’s post called out the athlete’s transition from competing in boys’ events to winning a girls’ title.
“We’ve learned that just ONE year ago John was competing in boy’s pole vault… that’s when he had his 5th place finish,” Libby wrote.
“Tonight, ‘Katie’ won 1st place in the girls’ Maine State Class B Championship.”
The post, which used a public photo from the event, drew swift backlash from Democratic Speaker Ryan Fecteau, who demanded its removal.
Libby’s refusal prompted a censure resolution, narrowly passed at 75-70, citing the use of the student’s name and image.
The punishment bars Libby from floor debates and votes until she retracts her statement, though she can still sponsor bills and engage in committee work.
Legal Battle Highlights Free Speech Tensions
Libby, undeterred, filed a lawsuit against Fecteau, claiming the censure violated her First Amendment rights and silenced her 9,000 constituents.
“I comment about a wide variety of current issues here in Maine, so I did not expect a big issue about it,” Libby said, defending her post as commentary on a public event. A federal judge, however, upheld the censure in late April, citing legislative immunity and the temporary nature of the penalty.
Libby decried the ruling, warning, “We’re getting into really dangerous territory, because speech is not free when a simple majority can silence a member of the minority party.”
In a defiant April statement, she added, “While I’m disappointed by today’s decision, it doesn’t change the fact that Ryan Fecteau and Maine Democrats abused their power in order to silence dissent, disenfranchise nearly 9,000 of my constituents, and suppress the voices they disagree with.”
“The courts must stand up to this abuse of power, which contradicts the very rationale for representative democracy. We will appeal.”
