Supreme Court to Decide on Transgender Athletes Participation in School Sports

The Supreme Court announced on Thursday that it will hear a significant case concerning state restrictions on transgender students joining school sports teams. This development comes two weeks after the Court upheld a ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth.

The justices plan to review decisions from lower courts supporting transgender athletes in Idaho and West Virginia. The contentious debate on transgender girls' participation in girls' sports has unfolded at both state and federal levels, with Republicans framing it as a battle for preserving the fairness of women's athletics.

Over two dozen states have implemented laws that bar transgender women and girls from certain sports. However, several policies have faced legal challenges. At the federal frontier, the Trump administration filed legal actions against state and school policies permitting open competition by transgender athletes. Recently, the University of Pennsylvania amended its records to address concerns over transgender swimmer Lia Thomas' participation, acknowledging potential disadvantages to female athletes.

(With inputs from agencies.)