US Supreme Court upholds state bans on transgender athletes

The United States Supreme Court affirmed legislation in Idaho and West Virginia that bars transgender students from competing on women’s sports teams, ruling that states may define participation based on the biological sex recorded at birth. The Court reversed lower‑court decisions that had favored the two transgender plaintiffs — Lindsay Hickox, a student‑athlete from Idaho, and Becky Pepper‑Jackson, a high‑school athlete from West Virginia. The justices said the states’ “biological‑sex” standards are permissible, and the ruling is expected to extend to similar laws already enacted in at least 25 other states. The decision reflects the Court’s conservative majority and aligns with former President Donald Trump’s long‑standing opposition to transgender inclusion in women’s athletics, signalling a broader national shift in the legal landscape for transgender rights.