The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that states can prohibit transgender women from competing in female sports at the school and college level. The decision allows states to enact laws requiring sports teams to align with an athlete's sex assigned at birth.
The court considered challenges from students in Idaho and West Virginia, states that had implemented such bans. One legal challenge argued that the bans violated the equal protection clauses of the U.S. Constitution, while another contended they contradicted federal civil rights laws.
More than two dozen states have enacted similar bans since Idaho passed its law in 2020. These laws generally prevent transgender women, defined as biological males who identify as women, from participating in female athletic competitions.
In Idaho, runner Lindsay Hecox filed a lawsuit against the state's ban shortly after its passage. Initially, a district court and an appeals court granted an injunction against the law. However, an appeals court panel later found that the Idaho law infringed on constitutional rights, stating the state had not provided sufficient evidence that the ban upheld sex equality and opportunity for female athletes.
Former President Donald Trump frequently highlighted the issue of transgender athletes in women's sports during his 2024 election campaign. He previously signed an executive order aimed at preventing transgender women from competing on female sports teams. The NCAA, the governing body for U.S. college sports, also implemented its own ban on transgender women competing in women's sports following these developments.