Latest news with #FairnessinWomen'sSportsAct
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
US Supreme Court to weigh transgender athlete bans
The US Supreme Court agreed on Thursday to wade into the hot-button issue of transgender athletes in girls and women's sports. The court said it would hear cases next term challenging state laws in Idaho and West Virginia banning transgender athletes from female competition. More than two dozen US states have passed laws in recent years barring athletes who were assigned male at birth from taking part in girls or women's sports. The conservative-dominated Supreme Court's decision to hear the cases comes two weeks after it upheld a Tennessee law banning gender-affirming medical treatment for transgender minors. The Supreme Court also recently backed a move by President Donald Trump, who campaigned on the issue of transgender athletes, to have transgender troops dismissed from the military. Trump issued an executive order in February aimed at banning transgender athletes from girls and women's sports. "From now on women's sports will be only for women," Trump said. "With this executive order the war on women's sports is over." The executive order allows federal agencies to deny funding to schools that allow transgender athletes to compete on girls or women's teams. In a high-profile case, the University of Pennsylvania agreed this week to ban transgender athletes from its women's sports teams, settling a federal civil rights complaint stemming from the furor around swimmer Lia Thomas. The Department of Education said that UPenn had entered into a resolution agreement vowing to comply with Title IX, the federal law which prohibits sex-based discrimination in any educational program. It follows an investigation by the department's Office for Civil Rights which found the university had violated Title IX by allowing transgender swimmer Thomas to compete in women's competitions. Thomas became a lightning rod around the debate over transgender athletes in women's sport after competing in female collegiate competitions in 2022. She had earlier swum on UPenn's men's team while undergoing hormone replacement therapy. Critics and some fellow swimmers said she should not have been allowed to compete against women due to an unfair physiological advantage. - 'Discriminatory laws' - The Idaho case accepted by the Supreme Court stems from the Republican-led state's 2020 "Fairness in Women's Sports Act." It was challenged by a transgender athlete at an Idaho university and lower courts ruled that it violates the equal protection clause of the Constitution. West Virginia's 2021 ban on transgender athletes was challenged by a middle school student who was not allowed to compete for the girls' track team. An appeals court ruled that the ban was a violation of Title IX. "We believe the lower courts were right to block these discriminatory laws, and we will continue to defend the freedom of all kids to play," Joshua Block, a senior counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union, said in a statement. "Like any other educational program, school athletic programs should be accessible for everyone regardless of their sex or transgender status," Block said. The Supreme Court will hear the cases during the term beginning in October and issue a ruling next year. cl/bgs
Mint
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Will state bans on transgender athletes in women's sports be upheld? US Supreme Court to weigh in
The US Supreme Court agreed on Thursday (July 3) to hear challenges to state laws banning transgender athletes from girls' and women's sports. The high court said it will take up appeals involving laws enacted in Idaho and West Virginia that prohibit athletes who were assigned male at birth from competing on female teams in public schools and universities. The cases will be heard during the term that begins in October, with a ruling expected next year. The court's decision to hear the cases comes amid a wave of legislation across the country and intensifying political debate on the issue. Idaho's 2020 law, called the Fairness in Women's Sports Act, was blocked by lower courts after a lawsuit by a transgender university athlete who argued the ban violated constitutional rights to equal protection. Similarly, West Virginia's 2021 law was struck down after a middle school student challenged her exclusion from the girls' track team, with an appeals court ruling it violated Title IX, the federal law barring sex-based discrimination in education. More than two dozen Republican-led states have enacted similar restrictions in recent years. Supporters say the bans are needed to protect fairness in women's sports. Critics argue they are discriminatory and deny transgender youth equal opportunities. Joshua Block, senior counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union, which represents the challengers, said the laws target already vulnerable children. 'We believe the lower courts were right to block these discriminatory laws, and we will continue to defend the freedom of all kids to play,' Block said. 'Like any other educational program, school athletic programs should be accessible for everyone regardless of their sex or transgender status.' The court's move follows a series of recent legal and political actions on transgender rights. Last month, the Supreme Court upheld a Tennessee law banning gender-affirming medical care for minors. The Supreme Court's decision comes amid broader efforts by President Donald Trump to restrict transgender rights. President Donald Trump, who made the issue a centerpiece of his campaign, signed an executive order in February banning transgender athletes from girls' and women's sports at schools receiving federal funding. 'From now on women's sports will be only for women,' Trump declared. 'With this executive order the war on women's sports is over.' The order also allows federal agencies to cut funding to schools that violate the policy. The Department of Education has since enforced the order by investigating schools, including the University of Pennsylvania, which recently agreed to ban transgender athletes from women's teams as part of a Title IX settlement related to swimmer Lia Thomas. The Supreme Court will hear arguments during its next term starting in October. The eventual ruling could set nationwide precedent on whether schools must allow transgender girls to participate in female sports under the Constitution and Title IX.
Int'l Business Times
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
US Supreme Court To Weigh Transgender Athlete Bans
The US Supreme Court agreed on Thursday to wade into the hot-button issue of transgender athletes in girls and women's sports. The court said it would hear cases next term challenging state laws in Idaho and West Virginia banning transgender athletes from female competition. More than two dozen US states have passed laws in recent years barring athletes who were assigned male at birth from taking part in girls or women's sports. The conservative-dominated Supreme Court's decision to hear the cases comes two weeks after it upheld a Tennessee law banning gender-affirming medical treatment for transgender minors. The Supreme Court also recently backed a move by President Donald Trump, who campaigned on the issue of transgender athletes, to have transgender troops dismissed from the military. Trump issued an executive order in February aimed at banning transgender athletes from girls and women's sports. "From now on women's sports will be only for women," Trump said. "With this executive order the war on women's sports is over." The executive order allows federal agencies to deny funding to schools that allow transgender athletes to compete on girls or women's teams. In a high-profile case, the University of Pennsylvania agreed this week to ban transgender athletes from its women's sports teams, settling a federal civil rights complaint stemming from the furor around swimmer Lia Thomas. The Department of Education said that UPenn had entered into a resolution agreement vowing to comply with Title IX, the federal law which prohibits sex-based discrimination in any educational program. It follows an investigation by the department's Office for Civil Rights which found the university had violated Title IX by allowing transgender swimmer Thomas to compete in women's competitions. Thomas became a lightning rod around the debate over transgender athletes in women's sport after competing in female collegiate competitions in 2022. She had earlier swum on UPenn's men's team while undergoing hormone replacement therapy. Critics and some fellow swimmers said she should not have been allowed to compete against women due to an unfair physiological advantage. The Idaho case accepted by the Supreme Court stems from the Republican-led state's 2020 "Fairness in Women's Sports Act." It was challenged by a transgender athlete at an Idaho university and lower courts ruled that it violates the equal protection clause of the Constitution. West Virginia's 2021 ban on transgender athletes was challenged by a middle school student who was not allowed to compete for the girls' track team. An appeals court ruled that the ban was a violation of Title IX. "We believe the lower courts were right to block these discriminatory laws, and we will continue to defend the freedom of all kids to play," Joshua Block, a senior counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union, said in a statement. "Like any other educational program, school athletic programs should be accessible for everyone regardless of their sex or transgender status," Block said. The Supreme Court will hear the cases during the term beginning in October and issue a ruling next year.
eNCA
03-07-2025
- Politics
- eNCA
US Supreme Court to weigh transgender athlete bans
The US Supreme Court agreed on Thursday to wade into the hot-button issue of transgender athletes in girls and women's sports. The court said it would hear a case next term challenging state laws in Idaho and West Virginia banning transgender athletes from female competition. More than two dozen US states have passed laws in recent years barring athletes who were assigned male at birth from taking part in girls or women's sports. The conservative-dominated Supreme Court's decision to hear the case comes two weeks after it upheld a Tennessee law banning gender-affirming medical treatment for transgender minors. The Supreme Court has also recently backed a move by President Donald Trump, who campaigned on the issue of transgender athletes, to have transgender troops dismissed from the military. Trump issued an executive order in February aimed at banning transgender athletes from girls and women's sports. "From now on women's sports will be only for women," Trump said. "With this executive order the war on women's sports is over." The executive order allows federal agencies to deny funding to schools that allow transgender athletes to compete on girls or women's teams. In a high-profile case, the University of Pennsylvania agreed this week to ban transgender athletes from its women's sports teams, settling a federal civil rights case stemming from the furor around swimmer Lia Thomas. The Department of Education said that UPenn had entered into a resolution agreement vowing to comply with Title IX, the federal law which prohibits sex-based discrimination in any educational program. It follows an investigation by the department's Office for Civil Rights which found the university had violated Title IX by allowing transgender swimmer Thomas to compete in women's competitions. Thomas became a lightning rod around the debate over transgender athletes in women's sport after competing in female collegiate competitions in 2022. She had earlier swam on UPenn's men's team while undergoing hormone replacement therapy. Critics and some fellow swimmers said she should not have been allowed to compete against women due to an unfair physiological advantage. The Idaho case accepted by the Supreme Court stems from the Republican-led state's "Fairness in Women's Sports Act." It was challenged by an athlete at an Idaho university and lower courts ruled that it violates the equal protection clause of the Constitution. The West Virginia case was challenged by a middle school student who was not allowed to compete for the girls' track team. An appeals court ruled that the ban was a violation of Title IX. The Supreme Court will hear the case during the term beginning in October and issue a ruling next year.
France 24
03-07-2025
- Politics
- France 24
US Supreme Court to weigh transgender athlete bans
The court said it would hear a case next term challenging state laws in Idaho and West Virginia banning transgender athletes from female competition. More than two dozen US states have passed laws in recent years barring athletes who were assigned male at birth from taking part in girls or women's sports. The conservative-dominated Supreme Court's decision to hear the case comes two weeks after it upheld a Tennessee law banning gender-affirming medical treatment for transgender minors. The Supreme Court has also recently backed a move by President Donald Trump, who campaigned on the issue of transgender athletes, to have transgender troops dismissed from the military. Trump issued an executive order in February aimed at banning transgender athletes from girls and women's sports. "From now on women's sports will be only for women," Trump said. "With this executive order the war on women's sports is over." The executive order allows federal agencies to deny funding to schools that allow transgender athletes to compete on girls or women's teams. In a high-profile case, the University of Pennsylvania agreed this week to ban transgender athletes from its women's sports teams, settling a federal civil rights case stemming from the furor around swimmer Lia Thomas. The Department of Education said that UPenn had entered into a resolution agreement vowing to comply with Title IX, the federal law which prohibits sex-based discrimination in any educational program. It follows an investigation by the department's Office for Civil Rights which found the university had violated Title IX by allowing transgender swimmer Thomas to compete in women's competitions. Thomas became a lightning rod around the debate over transgender athletes in women's sport after competing in female collegiate competitions in 2022. She had earlier swam on UPenn's men's team while undergoing hormone replacement therapy. Critics and some fellow swimmers said she should not have been allowed to compete against women due to an unfair physiological advantage. The Idaho case accepted by the Supreme Court stems from the Republican-led state's "Fairness in Women's Sports Act." It was challenged by an athlete at an Idaho university and lower courts ruled that it violates the equal protection clause of the Constitution. The West Virginia case was challenged by a middle school student who was not allowed to compete for the girls' track team. An appeals court ruled that the ban was a violation of Title IX. The Supreme Court will hear the case during the term beginning in October and issue a ruling next year.
