Supreme Court upholds state transgender athlete bans in girls' and women's sportshttps://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/supreme-court-upholds-state-transgender-athlete-bans-in-girls-and-women-s-sports/ar-AA26Ty4F?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=b5b599ff19194ae99c207c0512c43de5&ei=22 🔗 [Link: msn.com/en-us/news/other/supreme-court-upholds-state-transgender-athlete-bans-in-girls-and-women-s-sports/ar-AA26Ty4F/]Melissa Quinn (30 June 2026)
Washington — The Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled states can prohibit transgender athletes from competing on girls' and women's sports teams, a decision that delivers the latest setback for transgender rights.
In two of the most closely watched cases of its term, the Supreme Court upheld laws from West Virginia and Idaho that restrict transgender athletes' participation in school sports. The cases are known as West Virginia v. B.P.J. and Little v. Hecox.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh authored the opinion for the majority, writing that under Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause, schools can base eligibility for women and girls' sports teams on biological sex.
"Consistent with Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause, we hold that the States may maintain women's and girls' sports for biological females. They may determine eligibility for women's and girls' sports based on biological sex," Kavanaugh wrote. "The Constitution and Title IX do not require an overhaul of women's and girls' sports throughout America."
The three liberal justices dissented from the majority's finding when it comes to the Equal Protection Clause, but agreed with the court's conservatives on Title IX.
The ruling protects similar laws in 27 states that have been enacted in recent years in response to high-profile instances of transgender athletes competing in girls' and women's sporting events.
