The U.S. Supreme Court allowed states to ban transgender athletes from competing on women's teams
Kyiv • UNN
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld laws in West Virginia and Idaho that prohibit transgender students from competing on women's sports teams. The Court ruled that such restrictions do not violate federal anti-discrimination law.
The U.S. Supreme Court allowed states to impose restrictions on transgender student-athletes, upholding laws in West Virginia and Idaho that ban them from participating in women's sports teams. This is reported by Reuters, writes UNN.
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The justices overturned decisions by lower courts that had previously sided with transgender students who challenged these laws as violating the U.S. Constitution and federal anti-discrimination legislation.
The laws of Idaho and West Virginia define the composition of sports teams in public schools and higher education institutions according to "biological sex" and prohibit male students from competing on women's teams. Reuters notes that similar laws are already in effect in 25 other states.
The court ruled that the ban does not contradict federal law
In a unanimous 9:0 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that such laws do not violate the provisions of Title IX of the federal civil rights law, which prohibits sex-based discrimination in education.
At the same time, regarding the question of compliance with the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees equal protection under the law, the justices split along ideological lines. A majority of six conservative justices supported the states' position. The author of the opinion was Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
Under Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause, we believe that states may support women's and girls' sports for biological women. They may define eligibility to participate in women's and girls' sports based on biological sex. The Constitution and Title IX do not require a wholesale overhaul of women's and girls' sports across America
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump supported the states' position in this process. After the court's decision, Trump wrote on Truth Social: "BIG WIN: The Supreme Court of the United States just RULED AGAINST MEN PLAYING IN WOMEN'S SPORTS. Wow! This takes this absurd situation out of consideration!!!"