States are free to ban transgender girls — those defined as biological boys based on their identity at birth — from participating in girls’ sports, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Tuesday.
In a wide-ranging decision, the justices said such statutes, like one approved by Arizona lawmakers in 2022, do not run afoul of federal laws that prevent discrimination based on sex. Justice Brett Kavanaugh, writing for the majority, also said these laws also do not offend constitutional provisions requiring equal protection for all.
But the ruling could have more immediate implications in Arizona even though the case before the high court deals with transgender girls from Idaho and West Virginia who want to compete with — and against — other girls.
