Supreme Court Backs State Limits on Transgender Athletes

The US Supreme Court on Tuesday cleared the way for states to restrict transgender students from competing in school sports based on their gender identity. The court upheld laws in Idaho and West Virginia that bar transgender athletes from competing on girls' and women's teams.

The justices overturned lower court rulings that had sided with plaintiffs who argued the bans violated the Constitution and federal anti-discrimination law. The laws in both states require public schools, including universities, to organize sports teams based on biological sex and prohibit biological males from competing on girls' and women's teams. Twenty-five other states have enacted similar laws.

The administration of President Donald Trump, which has taken a tougher stance on transgender rights since his return to office, backed Idaho and West Virginia in the case. The states argued the measures are necessary to ensure fair and safe competition for women and girls, while opponents say they are part of a broader effort to restrict the rights of transgender Americans.

The Supreme Court's conservative majority has previously upheld several policies affecting transgender people, including a ban on transgender military service and restrictions on changing the sex marker on US travel documents.

(Reuters, bak)