First lady Melania Trump highlighted a passage from her memoir following the Supreme Court's decision to uphold state laws that reserve women's and girls' sports for biological females. The ruling, which establishes a national precedent, allows states to determine athletic eligibility based on sex assigned at birth.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Trump shared a section from her memoir, "Melania," published months prior to the court's decision. She stated that the ruling aligns with a position she has long supported, emphasizing the importance of protecting female athletes while also supporting the LGBTQIA+ community. "America, we can support the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community and also protect opportunities for female athletes," Trump wrote. "Respect everyone and keep girls' sports fair. Both ideals are essential."
The Supreme Court's 6-3 decision in the consolidated cases West Virginia v. B.P.J. and Little v. Hecox affirmed the authority of states to enact and enforce laws, such as West Virginia's Save Women's Sports Act and Idaho's Fairness in Women's Sports Act, that mandate student-athletes compete on teams corresponding with their biological sex at birth.
The majority opinion stated, "Consistent with Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause, we hold that the States may maintain women's and girls' sports for biological females. They may determine eligibility for women's and girls' sports based on biological sex." This decision validates similar legislation passed in 27 states in recent years.
West Virginia Attorney General John McCuskey described the ruling as "a monumental victory for every female athlete who has ever competed, or dreamed of competing, on a fair and safe playing field." Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador echoed this sentiment, stating the decision confirmed states' authority to "preserve fair competition and protect the opportunities that generations of women fought to secure."
Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson filed an opinion concurring in part and dissenting in part. The legal challenges had previously blocked the enforcement of these state laws while the cases progressed through the court system.