A4TE Denounces Supreme Court Ruling Undermining Civil Rights Protections for Trans People

[Washington, D.C.] - Today, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in B.P.J. v. West Virginia and Hecox v. Little that Idaho and West Virginia may exclude transgender girls from sports teams, holding that Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause permit bans against transgender women and girls participating on women’s and girls’ sports teams. The decision reverses lower court rulings in both cases and sends them back for further proceedings. Anya Marino, Advocates for Trans Equality (A4TE) Chief Strategic Programs Officer, issued the following statement:

“Today’s ruling marks a devastating departure from decades of civil rights progress and threatens the rights, dignity, and safety of trans people across the country. By endorsing Idaho and West Virginia’s exclusionary policies, the Court relies on harmful, outdated stereotypes about trans women and girls, underrates women's and girls’ athletic abilities, and ignores the reality that school athletic programs maintain educational benefits beyond winning. School sports teach participants how to work as members of a team or community, to think critically, to problem-solve, and to be nimble. Additionally, students who are able to participate in their school’s athletic programs achieve better academic outcomes. But the majority’s decision endorses Idaho’s and West Virginia’s policy effectively depriving Lindsay Hecox and B.P.J. of the same access and opportunity to educational programming as their peers.  

“As we highlighted in our amicus brief, this country has a long history of laws targeting trans people that were aimed at preventing them from participating in culturally important aspects of our society. This ruling echoes that troubling history. 

“The Court’s reasoning, which reduces discrimination against trans girls as an ‘unhappy occasion’, sets a troubling precedent. Bans like these invite invasive questioning, sex testing, and medical scrutiny of students who do not conform to narrow expectations of femininity. We have already seen girls investigated, harassed, and publicly accused of being trans because of their appearance, body type, or athletic ability. Black and Brown women and girls have been disproportionately subjected to this kind of profiling and abuse. Today’s decision encourages harmful, intrusive, and humiliating sex verification testing for all women and girls. Following today’s decision, any girl that does not conform to arcane sex stereotypes or who excels in athletics risks this type of testing. These policies will deter women and girls and decrease women’s and girls’ participation in athletic programs. 

“Becky Pepper-Jackson and Lindsay Hecox sought only to participate in school athletics alongside their peers. Schools should be places where every student can learn, grow, and thrive safely, regardless of race, gender, background, or identity. Instead, this ruling threatens to create fear, humiliation, and exclusion for countless young people and families. 

“The Supreme Court doesn’t have the final say on this. Many states and schools do support their transgender athletes, with inclusive policies that have been working for decades. Those policies remain intact despite today’s ruling. 

“And no court decision can erase trans people or extinguish the movement for equality and dignity. Trans people are part of every community in this country, and we at A4TE will continue fighting alongside our families, neighbors, and allies for civil rights, bodily autonomy, equal opportunity, and the freedom to live openly without discrimination or political interference.”

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About A4TE 

Advocates for Trans Equality (A4TE) is an organization that fights for the legal and political rights of trans people in the United States. Introduced in July 2024 after the Trans Legal Defense & Education Fund and National Center for Trans Equality merged, A4TE is the largest trans-led advocacy organization in the U.S. and brings together experts, advocates, and communities to shift government and society toward an equitable future where trans people live joyful lives without barriers.