The Supreme Court issued final opinions on state trans bans yesterday. The court ruled to uphold state laws that bar transgender girls and women from participating in school athletics in a landmark 6-3 decision.
The Court ruled unanimously that Title IX cannot block laws banning transgender athletes. However, they split along liberal and conservative lines over whether a state trans ban violates the Constitution.
“The majority’s opinion ends by reciting the many wonderful ways in which playing sports can be valuable,” wrote Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
“Because of the Court’s decision today, West Virginia, and any other state actor, can deny [transgender athletes] these experiences simply because it thinks they have an inherent athletic advantage, even if the facts show that they do not.”
The decision continues a recent slate of trans athlete restrictions. This includes updated NCAA, USOPC, and IOC gender-based policies.
“This ruling is heartbreaking for transgender student athletes,” HRC President Kelley Robinson said in a statement.
“We are sacrificing the dignity, privacy, and safety of America’s young people to solve a problem that was manufactured and exploited for political gain.”
