Gov. Janet Mills and President Trump had quite the dust-up the other day, but the headlines and the hot reaction that have followed miss the point. The issue is simply the rule of law, not the rightness or wrongness of transgender people in sports.

Although many seem eager to make political hay out of the disagreement, they distract from what is far more critical. In standing up to the president, Gov. Mills said her duty is to execute our laws and that the president does not have the right or power to overrule them on his say-so.

There are two laws in play. In 1972, Congress passed Title IX, which says that any school that accepts federal funding is prohibited from discriminating in school sports based on sex. Subsequent interpretations have included prohibitions based on gender identification as well.

The second relevant law is Maine’s Human Rights Act, which our legislature initially passed in 1971, and it prohibits discrimination because of “race, color, sex, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental disability, genetic pre-disposition, religion, ancestry or national origin.”

These are the two laws that the Maine Principals Association follows in its human rights policy.

Transgender athletes represent far less than 1% of the total athletes that play in any year. While we debate this issue, lets keep that perspective in mind. But above all, hold fast that here in Maine government is of, by, and for us.

I am proud to have a governor willing to speak that truth to power.

Stephen Bien, Jay