The U.S. Supreme Court delivered one of the most closely watched decisions of its term on Tuesday, handing supporters of women’s sports a major legal victory. In a ruling expected to shape future debates over athletics and gender identity, the nation’s highest court upheld state laws that prohibit biological males identifying as transgender from competing in girls’ and women’s school sports.
The decision marks another significant win for states seeking to preserve female athletic competition based on biological sex rather than gender identity. The cases centered on challenges to laws enacted in Idaho and West Virginia, both of which were designed to protect women’s sports by restricting participation according to a person’s sex at birth.
Writing for the majority, Justice Brett Kavanaugh emphasized the biological differences that separate men and women, explaining why states have a legitimate interest in maintaining separate athletic divisions.
