Supreme Court trans sports ruling sparks red state crackdown and blue state resistancehttps://www.advocate.com/politics/national/trans-sports-scotus-ruling-reaction 🔗Jacob Ogles (1 July 2026)
A U.S. Supreme Court ruling allowing states to ban transgender girls and women from sports aligned with their gender identity has sent red states rushing to kick queer athletes off the field. Meanwhile, progressive leaders in LGBTQ-friendly states are promising protections, particularly for young people.
As The Advocate reported on Tuesday, the decision came in two cases, West Virginia v. B.P.J. and Little v. Hecox, involving transgender athletes Becky Pepper-Jackson and Lindsay Hecox. The court ruled that the bans in West Virginia and Idaho do not violate Title IX or the Constitution's Equal Protection Clause, handing Republican-led states a major victory in their yearslong campaign to restrict transgender students' participation in school sports.
Arizona State Superintendent Tom Horne immediately urged courts there to lift an injunction blocking enforcement of the Grand Canyon State's sports ban.
But Illinois leaders made clear that the state will continue allowing transgender students to compete in school sports consistent with their gender identity.
"In Illinois, transgender students have the right to fully participate in school activities, including sports," Attorney General Kwame Raoul said in a statement provided to WBEZ Chicago. "Nothing in today's opinion prohibits states like Illinois from allowing student athletes to participate on teams consistent with their gender identity and pursuant to [Illinois High School Association] guidelines."
