WASHINGTON, D.C. — Equality California released the following statement from Executive Director Tony Hoang in response to today’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling in B.P.J. v. West Virginia State Board of Education and Hecox v. Little:
“Today’s decision is heartbreaking for transgender student athletes and their families. No child should be denied the opportunity to learn, grow, and be part of a team simply because of who they are. At the same time, the Court did not give states or schools a blank check to discriminate against transgender people in every aspect of their lives. Even with this ruling, schools and states like California can continue to adopt inclusive policies that ensure every student is treated with dignity and respect. Inclusive policies are working across the country, including here in California, where transgender young people have participated in school sports for years without incident. Allowing states to pass blanket bans that exclude transgender students from every sport, at every age, and at every level of competition does not advance fairness. We should be focused on removing the real barriers girls face in sports — unequal resources, harassment, and lack of opportunity — not targeting a small number of young people for political gain. Sports can, should, and do have rules around participation, but singling out one group of kids does nothing to solve the issue of inequity. Our opponents have spent years and hundreds of millions of dollars trying to divide communities and scapegoat transgender youth instead of addressing the real challenges families face every day: affordable healthcare, safe public schools, economic security, and safe communities. No court ruling changes the fact that transgender people are our neighbors, friends, classmates, coworkers, and family members. They deserve the same freedoms, dignity, and opportunities as anyone else. Equality California will continue fighting alongside transgender young people and their families to ensure every student can live openly, safely, and authentically — both on and off the playing field.”
“Today’s decision is heartbreaking for transgender student athletes and their families. No child should be denied the opportunity to learn, grow, and be part of a team simply because of who they are.
At the same time, the Court did not give states or schools a blank check to discriminate against transgender people in every aspect of their lives. Even with this ruling, schools and states like California can continue to adopt inclusive policies that ensure every student is treated with dignity and respect.
Inclusive policies are working across the country, including here in California, where transgender young people have participated in school sports for years without incident. Allowing states to pass blanket bans that exclude transgender students from every sport, at every age, and at every level of competition does not advance fairness. We should be focused on removing the real barriers girls face in sports — unequal resources, harassment, and lack of opportunity — not targeting a small number of young people for political gain. Sports can, should, and do have rules around participation, but singling out one group of kids does nothing to solve the issue of inequity.
Our opponents have spent years and hundreds of millions of dollars trying to divide communities and scapegoat transgender youth instead of addressing the real challenges families face every day: affordable healthcare, safe public schools, economic security, and safe communities.
No court ruling changes the fact that transgender people are our neighbors, friends, classmates, coworkers, and family members. They deserve the same freedoms, dignity, and opportunities as anyone else.
Equality California will continue fighting alongside transgender young people and their families to ensure every student can live openly, safely, and authentically — both on and off the playing field.”
In today’s ruling, the Court upheld restrictions on transgender student participation in school sports under Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause in limited circumstances. At the same time, the Court did not disturb existing federal protections against sex discrimination outside the context of school athletics, including those recognized under Bostock v. Clayton County. The Court also expressly declined to decide whether schools and states may continue implementing inclusive policies that support transgender students, making clear that this decision is limited to the specific questions before the Court and does not resolve broader questions about protections for transgender people.
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Equality California is the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ civil rights organization. We bring the voices of LGBTQ people and allies to institutions of power in California and across the United States, striving to create a world that is healthy, just, and fully equal for all LGBTQ people. We advance civil rights and social justice by inspiring, advocating and mobilizing through an inclusive movement that works tirelessly on behalf of those we serve. www.eqca.org
