On Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court is considering state laws banning trans females from girls sports teams.
Verbal arguments focus on two cases of trans students who sued over laws in Idaho and West Virginia prohibiting them from girls sports teams. This could result in far-reaching implications for civil rights as a ruling against the athletes could erode protections for trans youth and the LGBTQ+ community.
In 2020, Idaho passed the first-in-the-nation law banning trans women and girls from female sports teams. Lindsay Hecox, a trans college student who wanted to participate in track, sued the state to overturn the law. Since then, she has decided she does not want to participate in college sports and has pushed to dismiss the case, however, the Supreme Court still wishes to hear the matter.
In West Virginia, 15-year-old Becky Pepper-Jackson challenged the state law banning her from track. AA federal court blocked the ban and the state appealed to the Supreme Court.
As of January 2026, 27 states have banned trans youth access to school sports. Promoters of the laws argue they are advocates for fairness and safety and those who counter the laws argue they are cruel and discriminatory and say there is no credible evidence inclusive sports policies have endangered cis females.
It has been argued the bans are in violation of the equal protection clause of the Constitution. Attorneys involved in the West Virginia case assert it also violates Title IX, which is a federal law prohibiting sex discrimination in schools. The states receive support from a Christian legal group called Alliance Defending Freedom. This group assists in major anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-abortion cases.
The Supreme Court will determine whether the laws are discriminatory and in need of “heightened scrutiny,” a “rigorous review where the government has a higher burden to justify the bans,” according to The Guardian. If the court decides this review is not warranted, it could set a precedent that anti-trans laws are “presumptively constitutional,” a warning from the ACLU.
If the U.S. Supreme Court determines trans people are not covered by Title IX, policies banning trans students bathroom access, the ability to choose preferred names and pronouns, and leave the LGBTQ+ youth community open to harassment, bullying, and discrimination.
In a statement last week, Pepper-Jackson said she plays sports to “make friends, have fun, and challenge myself through practice and teamwork. All I’ve ever wanted was the same opportunities as my peers. But in 2021, politicians in my state passed a law banning me – the only transgender student athlete in the entire state – from playing as who I really am. This is unfair to me and every transgender kid who just wants the freedom to be themselves.”
Impact of High School Sports Inclusivity
Fourteen-year-old Lina Haaga from Pasadena has played sports since she was four years old. “My entire family is very athletic. I wasn’t particularly good at soccer, but it helped me realize what an asset sports is in my life – as a release and an escape, but also a way to connect with other people an make new friends.” Haaga transitioned at an early age, therefore, she has always participated with girls teams. She participated in swimming, basketball, lacrosse, water polo, track, and tennis.
In the face of stressors, “sports was always a place where I could find a reprieve and just think about the ball that was ahead of me of the next step in the race.”
“The political climate has put into question my relationship with sports. Instead of it being something innocent I can just enjoy without fear of being discriminated against, I’ve had to now worry every time I step on the track or the court that somebody might disagree with my participation. That’s been really scary, because its’ started to steak something that’s precious for me – that moment of bliss.” This fear has caused Haaga to avoid some of her games.
She wants the Supreme Court to know, “We’re still human. We’re just kids. We’re just trying to have fun… We’re not trying to be monsters or predators or anything malevolent. We’re just trying to find connection and community.”
To other trans youth Haaga leaves this message, “Playing sports and loving being out there on the field is in its own beautiful way an act of resistance.”
By Jeanette Vietti
Sources:
The Guardian: US supreme court to hear trans athletes cases that could erode key protections
CNN: Since the Supreme Court protected transgender people from discrimination, ‘The backlash has been brutal’
The Guardian: How the US supreme court case on trans athletes could unravel LGBTQ+ rights
Featured Image Courtesy of popfatticus’ Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
