Supreme Court Expected to Hear Two Cases Challenging Transgender Athlete Bans in Idaho, West Virginia

The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear two significant cases involving state laws that restrict transgender women and girls from participating in girls' and women's sports teams. The Idaho law, challenged in Little v. Hecox, prohibits transgender athletes from joining teams aligning with their gender identity and requires extensive testing on biological sex, while West Virginia v. B.P.J. concerns a transgender middle school student's attempt to join her school's cross-country team. Both laws have the support of the Trump administration, which argues that allowing transgender women in female sports is unfair and denies equal opportunities to cisgender women. These cases raise important issues about the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause and Title IX protections against sex-based discrimination, with oral arguments expected before the Supreme Court's term concludes next summer. Meanwhile, the Court declined to review a lawsuit concerning the Biden administration's guidance banning discrimination by health-care providers against transgender individuals, a policy that was rescinded by the Trump administration and deemed moot by the courts. This highlights the ongoing judicial scrutiny of transgender rights across different contexts, including sports and healthcare.