SCOTUS Upholds State Bans On Transgender Athletes

Transgender athletes had challenged the bans, arguing the bans violated their 14th Amendment equal protection guarantee.

US-JUISTICE-SPORTS-TRANSGENDER — Source: ALEX WROBLEWSKI / Getty

WASHINGTON, D.C.-The Supreme Court is upholding bans on transgender athletes in girls and women’s sports in Idaho and West Virginia.

Transgender athletes had challenged the bans, arguing the bans violated their 14th Amendment equal protection guarantee. The court held that West Virginia did not violate Title IX, which bars educational programs that receive federal funding from discriminating based on sex.

In its decision, the court also said the two states did not violate the 14th Amendment by maintaining female sports teams for biological females. More than two dozen states currently have bans on transgender athletes in girls and women’s sports.

Justice Kavanaugh highlighted the importance of sports to women and girls but said “no student-athlete on either side of the issue deserves to be ostracized or vilified.”