Supreme Court decision backs Idaho

The Supreme Court’s decision to uphold state laws barring transgender girls and women from playing on school athletic teams was greeted with applause.

The Court ruled Tuesday that state bans in Idaho and West Virginia don’t violate the Constitution or the federal law known as Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination in education.  

The 6-3 decision confirms that Idaho, along with the 26 other states with similar laws, may keep women's and girls' sports teams reserved for biological females. 

We appreciate the Court's decision to support what Idaho already has on the books.

Idaho enacted the Fairness in Women's Sports Act in 2020 as the first law of its kind in the nation. The legislation requires that public athletic teams, such as high schools and universities, designated for females be based on biological sex at birth. The ACLU sued immediately and lower courts blocked enforcement from the day the law passed, according to the Idaho Attorney General's Office.

Here’s what some had to say about the decision:

“Today’s decision by the Supreme Court is a tremendous win for Idaho girls and women who simply want a level playing field in sports. The Court correctly recognized that biological sex matters in athletics and that states have the authority to protect female categories. We are proud that Idaho led the way on this issue.” — Idaho GOP Chairwoman Dorothy Moon 

“The Supreme Court has now confirmed that states can preserve fair competition and protect the opportunities that generations of women fought to secure. Every parent can rest assured that our law protects their daughters competing in Idaho." — Attorney General Raúl Labrador

“Idaho was the very first state to ban men from participating in women’s sports with the passage of the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act. We are leading the nation in supporting generations of women and men who fought hard to uphold Title IX protections and keep girls and women safe. — Gov. Brad Little 

“Our daughters and granddaughters deserve an even playing field, and the Supreme Court has delivered.” — U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho 

"Title IX was adopted by the federal government to ensure equal access to educational opportunities, including athletics, for girls. But allowing biological males to participate in girls’ sports violates the spirit of Title IX — depriving our girls of opportunities for victories, scholarships, and slots on teams." — Blaine Conzatti, president of Idaho Family Policy Center.

The overriding theme of these comments was in support of fair competition and protecting opportunities for women in sports. That is what the Supreme Court's decision does.