For millions of girls and women across the United States, the landscape of competitive sports remains largely unchanged following a recent Supreme Court ruling concerning transgender athletes. Twenty-three states continue to lack laws that explicitly keep biological males out of women's sports, and 19 of those states have policies that permit such participation.
High school athlete Soleil Hoefer expressed frustration that the ruling has not altered the situation in her state, Washington. "No matter what the ruling with the Supreme Court was, nothing has changed," Hoefer told Fox News Digital. "It’s just really frustrating to be a part of such a movement that isn’t getting any relief like these two girls have."
Hoefer recounted experiences of competing against biological males, including a goalkeeper on a club soccer team and a male athlete in a 400-meter race. "The 400 meter race is already such a mental game," she said. "Knowing that no matter what I trained for and what time I ran, I would always lose was so frustrating."
Beyond competitive fairness, concerns extend to the safety of female athletes. Hoefer cited a lawsuit in Washington state alleging a female wrestler was sexually assaulted by a biological male trans athlete during a match. Kristen Waggoner, CEO, president, and chief counsel of Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), which is involved in the lawsuit, stated that the case underscores the critical importance of sex-based distinctions in sports, going beyond just trophies and scholarships.
"Kallie’s experience is not just unfortunate, it is devastating to any girl," Waggoner said, referring to the Washington wrestler. "To wrestle as a 16-year-old in a sport and believe that you’re wrestling a girl, and then learn that it not only is a boy, but to be sexually assaulted… it’s horrendous, and it’s sexual assault." Waggoner emphasized that the issue extends to locker rooms, bathrooms, and other private spaces where the erasure of sex-based boundaries can impact girls' privacy and physical safety.
Similar concerns were raised by Adaleia Cross, a West Virginia student-athlete who alleged sexual harassment from a transgender athlete competing on girls' teams. While the accused athlete and their mother have denied the allegations, and a school district found them unsubstantiated, Cross and ADF maintain that harm occurred. "Girls are not safe when they have to share private spaces with men, and people just don't talk about it enough," Cross stated.
The ongoing debate also involves media coverage. Madison Kenyon, a former Idaho State runner and defendant in an Idaho Supreme Court case, believes that while media attention has increased, it often fails to center the experiences of female athletes. A 2025 Gallup survey indicated that 69% of U.S. adults believe transgender athletes should compete only on teams matching their birth sex.
State-Level Policies and Legal Battles
The country is broadly divided into states with laws protecting sports based on biological sex, states that allow transgender athletes to compete in girls' sports, and a smaller group with sex-based restrictions imposed by athletic associations but no specific state statutes.
States like California and Illinois have maintained policies that protect transgender students' ability to participate in sports consistent with their gender identity. In contrast, states such as Nevada are considering legislative action to mandate teams based on biological sex. Colorado voters are set to decide on a ballot measure in November 2026 that could enact similar mandates.
ADF continues to pursue legal and cultural strategies in states like Vermont and Washington, where policies explicitly allow transgender athletes to compete on teams matching their gender identity. Waggoner stated, "You can expect that we will uproot gender ideology from the law, and we will not stop until we do."
The settlement in Vermont with Mid Vermont Christian School, which received $566,000 after being barred from competitions for forfeiting a basketball game against a team with a transgender athlete, highlights the contentious nature of these disputes. Chris Goodwin, the school's girls' basketball coach, noted that the settlement did not resolve the larger issue, stating, "From just the coaches I’ve talked to, the parents I’ve talked to outside of our school, the vast majority of them would rather not have to compete against a boy."
Pursuit of Accountability
Beyond policy and state legislation, legal actions are seeking accountability for past seasons. Lawsuits filed by individuals like Riley Gaines and Brooke Slusser aim to secure damages for female athletes who allege lost opportunities, privacy, or fair competition due to policies allowing transgender-identifying male athletes in women's sports.
Bill Bock, an attorney involved in these cases, argued that the Supreme Court's ruling undermines institutions' claims that Title IX mandated the inclusion of biological males in women's sports. Marshi Smith, co-founder of the Independent Council on Women’s Sports, echoed this sentiment, stating, "We’re lacking accountability still," pointing to lost titles, records, roster spots, and scholarships.
Kenyon emphasized the tangible impact of athletic opportunities, noting that her college scholarship paved the way for her career. "When a male competes in female athletics, women are sidelined with nowhere to go," she said. Waggoner believes the Supreme Court's reasoning, which acknowledged the differences between sexes, supports the argument that excluding biological males from women's sports upholds Title IX's purpose of providing equal opportunities for women and girls.
The NCAA updated its transgender athlete policy in 2025 to limit women's competition to student-athletes assigned female at birth, a move the Supreme Court's opinion noted aligned with distinctions drawn by other elite sports organizations. Waggoner urged elite female athletes who have benefited from Title IX to speak out, stating, "There’s no room for cowardice. There’s only room for courage, and it’s never too late to speak out on behalf of women and girls."