US President Donald Trump on Tuesday hailed a “big win” after the Supreme Court upheld state laws barring transgender athletes from competing in girls’ and women’s school sports.
Reacting to the ruling on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote, “The United States Supreme Court just ruled against men playing in women’s sports. Wow! That takes that ridiculous situation off the table!!!”
The US Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld state laws barring transgender athletes from competing in girls’ and women’s school sports, delivering a major victory to conservatives in one of the country’s most fiercely contested culture-war battles.
In a 6-3 decision split along ideological lines, the court held that the US Constitution does not prevent states from enforcing laws restricting transgender athletes from participating in girls’ sports.
The justices were, however, divided on a separate issue concerning whether the bans violate federal law.
The ruling is expected to uphold similar laws already enacted in at least 27 states, including West Virginia and Idaho, where officials argue the measures are necessary to ensure fairness and safety in girls’ sports.
Writing for the majority, Justice Brett Kavanaugh said state legislatures and educational institutions were best placed to determine policies on the issue.
“The legislatures and the schools are better equipped — and under the Constitution, are the more appropriate entities — to assess the competing medical and scientific considerations and draw appropriate lines,” Kavanaugh wrote.
The decision allows Idaho, West Virginia and more than two dozen other Republican-led states to enforce measures requiring students to compete in public school and college teams according to their sex assigned at birth rather than their gender identity.
The ruling is the latest sign of the conservative-dominated court’s willingness to side with states on the issue, following last year’s decision upholding Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors.
