Nineteen States Enact Transgender Bathroom Restrictions, Local Rights Preempted Nationwide

In 2025, numerous states have enacted or expanded laws restricting transgender rights, particularly targeting bathroom use and participation in sports aligned with gender identity. Nineteen states now ban transgender people from using bathrooms matching their gender identity, with recent legislation passed in states including Wyoming, Arkansas, Idaho, and South Dakota. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld Tennessee’s law banning gender-affirming medical treatments for minors, affirming states’ rights to protect children's bodily integrity under the Equal Protection Clause. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has pressured California to rescind its policies allowing transgender girls to compete in girls’ sports, citing Title IX violations and threatening federal funding withdrawal. Research shows a significant increase since 2019 in states preempting local transgender protections, including bans on transgender athletes in sports and restrictions on gender-affirming care. These developments highlight a nationwide trend toward state-level restrictions on transgender rights, often overriding local policies and sparking legal and political conflicts.