US Supreme Court upholds bans on transgender athletes in female school and college sports

The US Supreme Court ruled unanimously that states can ban transgender women from competing in female school and college sports, upholding laws in Idaho and West Virginia that require athletes to compete according to their sex at birth. All nine justices found the bans do not violate Title IX civil rights protections, though the court split 6-3 along ideological lines on whether they violate the Constitution's 14th Amendment equal protection guarantee. More than two dozen states have enacted similar bans since Idaho's 2020 law.

The cases involved transgender athletes Lindsay Hecox and Becky Pepper-Jackson, who challenged the restrictions as unconstitutional discrimination. Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote that "the Constitution and Title IX do not require an overhaul of women's and girls' sports throughout America." The three liberal justices dissented, with Justice Sonia Sotomayor arguing the majority applied a diminished view of equal protection.

The Human Rights Campaign criticized the decision as "heartbreaking for transgender student athletes," while President Trump called it a "BIG WIN" and West Virginia's attorney general said it would ensure "fairness and safety for female athletes." The ruling provides legal clarity for states seeking to enforce such bans.