WASHINGTON — Republican-led U.S. states are moving to enforce or advance restrictions on transgender participation in school sports following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that upheld laws in Idaho and West Virginia barring transgender girls from competing on female school sports teams, a decision expected to influence similar measures nationwide.
The court ruled on June 30 that the Idaho and West Virginia laws do not violate Title IX, the federal law prohibiting sex discrimination in education. By a 6-3 vote, the justices also rejected constitutional equal protection challenges to the laws, while unanimously concluding that the statutes are consistent with Title IX. The ruling removed a significant legal obstacle for states that have enacted comparable restrictions.
More than two dozen states already have laws limiting participation by transgender girls and women in female scholastic sports, and officials in several Republican-led states have indicated they expect the Supreme Court's decision to strengthen enforcement of existing measures or support similar legislation elsewhere.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh, writing for the majority, said states may maintain separate athletic teams for biological females and cited fairness and safety as legitimate interests supporting the laws. The court concluded that Title IX permits sex-separated athletic teams based on biological sex.
The ruling was welcomed by President Donald Trump's administration, which backed Idaho and West Virginia during the litigation and has pursued broader policies limiting transgender participation in female sports. Supporters of the state laws argued they preserve fair competition and protect opportunities for female athletes.
Civil rights organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union, criticized the decision, saying it discriminates against transgender students and could encourage additional restrictions affecting transgender youth. Advocates argued the laws deny transgender students equal educational opportunities and warned the ruling could have broader implications for future litigation involving transgender rights.
The cases arose after transgender students challenged the Idaho and West Virginia laws, arguing they violated both the U.S. Constitution's Equal Protection Clause and federal anti-discrimination protections. Lower courts had previously blocked enforcement of portions of the laws before the states appealed to the Supreme Court.
The decision leaves unresolved separate legal challenges involving policies in states including California and Connecticut that allow transgender athletes to compete according to their gender identity. Those cases remain pending in lower courts.
