The US Supreme Court upheld state laws that ban transgender women and girls from playing on sports teams that do not align with their sex assigned at birth.
The ruling covers laws in Idaho and West Virginia that regulate sports teams in public schools and universities based on "biological sex" and prevent "male students" from participating on women's teams.
The Supreme Court overturned lower court rulings that had found these bans to violate the U.S. Constitution and federal anti-discrimination law in favor of transgender students.
The court ruled 9-0 that the state laws do not violate Title IX, the civil rights law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in education.
However, the justices were split 6-3 on whether the laws violate the equal protection guarantee of the Constitution's 14th Amendment.
Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh, writing for the majority, said: "We hold that under Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause, states may maintain sports for women and girls for biological females. They may determine eligibility for women's and girls' sports based on biological sex. The Constitution and Title IX do not require a nationwide overhaul of women's and girls' sports."
More than 20 Republican-led states across the U.S. have enacted similar bans on transgender women athletes. The Supreme Court's ruling is expected to cover these states as well.
Former President Donald Trump, in a post on his Truth Social platform, called the ruling a "big win." Trump said: "BIG WIN: The U.S. Supreme Court just ruled against MEN PLAYING IN WOMEN'S SPORTS. Wow! This ends this absurd situation!!!"
Since returning to office in January 2025, Trump has taken a hard line on transgender rights. Rejecting the concept of gender identity, he has issued numerous executive orders restricting transgender rights, including in sports participation.
The ruling is the latest step by the conservative-majority court to restrict the rights of transgender individuals. Last year, the Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to enforce its policy preventing transgender and nonbinary individuals from choosing a passport gender marker consistent with their gender identity.
