President Donald Trump called Tuesday’s Supreme Court decision on transgender athletes a “big win.”
The justices ruled in favor of West Virginia and Idaho in a 6-3 decision Thursday in a case brought by trans athletes who want to play girls’ sports.
Advertisement
“BIG WIN: The United States Supreme Court just RULED AGAINST MEN PLAYING IN WOMEN’S SPORTS. Wow! That takes that ridiculous situation off the table!!!” Trump posted to Truth Social.
The Supreme Court declared that the states were responsible for determining the status of transgender athletes in women’s sports, as Trump celebrated the ruling.
The decision states the obvious: “The differences [between mean and women] include, among other things, height, weight, strength, speed, endurance, and jumping ability.”
“Therefore, in contact sports, forcing female athletes to compete against males can create significant safety risks. And in virtually all competitive sports, forcing female athletes to compete against males can undermine competitive fairness,” Kavanaugh wrote.
Advertisement
Justice Sotomayor submitted an opinion that concurred with the judgment in part and dissented in part, and Justices Kagan and Jackson concurred. Jackson submitted an opinion that partially concurred with the judgment and partially disagreed.
We maintain that the States are permitted to maintain women’s and girls’ sports for biological females in accordance with the Equal Protection Clause and Title IX.
They may establish eligibility for women’s and girls’ sports based on biological sex.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Cooley Legal represented the trans athletes, while the law firm Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) supported the states.
Currently, the protection of women’s sports is enforced by over half of the states in the United States without the threat of a legal challenge.
Nevertheless, there are still 23 states that do not have any such laws, and some of those states have laws that protect trans athletes in girls’ sports.
On February 5, 2025, President Trump signed the “No Men In Women’s Sports” executive order, which resulted in additional restrictions on trans athletes and a requirement for states to comply with the order.
Conversely, it also facilitated a highly publicized altercation between Maine Governor Janet Mills and President Trump shortly after the order was signed.
Trump consistently issued threats to suspend federal funding to states that failed to comply with his executive order. Maine’s funds were frozen by Trump; however, a federal judge determined that they must be unfrozen.
However, legislation currently safeguards those states.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon released a statement later.
Advertisement
“Today’s ruling affirms the common sense right of states to prohibit men from competing in women’s sports, safeguard the integrity of female spaces, and ensure no woman faces discrimination on the basis of sex,” she said. “For years, ideologues distorted Title IX to advance a radical transgender agenda, subjecting women to immeasurable harm.
“The Trump Administration has fought to restore Title IX’s protections for women and girls since Day One. Today’s ruling cements those reforms and builds on decades of work to secure equal educational opportunities for women and girls. This is a tremendous victory, and we look forward to ensuring that every educational institution in America abides by the law of the land.”
Surveys have shown that roughly 80% of Americans do not believe biological males should compete against girls and women.
The Idaho case was brought by Hecox, a 24-year-old transgender woman who challenged the state’s law after seeking to try out for the women’s track and cross-country teams at Boise State University.
Although Hecox did not make either varsity team, she later played club sports.
The West Virginia lawsuit was filed by Heather Jackson on behalf of her child, B.P.J., a 15-year-old transgender high school student who has publicly identified as a girl since elementary school.
According to court filings, B.P.J. has received treatment with puberty blockers and estrogen hormone therapy and has competed on her school’s track and cross-country teams.
This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.
