The US Supreme Court appeared likely on Tuesday in a closely watched pair of cases to uphold state bans on the participation of transgender athletes in girls' and women's sports.&nbsp;The conservative-dominated court heard more than three hours of arguments in separate challenges to state laws in Idaho and West Virginia banning transgender students from female competition.&nbsp;Twenty-seven US states have passed laws in recent years barring athletes who were assigned as male at birth from taking part in girls' or women's sports.&nbsp;The Idaho case stems from the Republican-led state's 2020 Fairness in Women's Sports Act.&nbsp;The act was challenged by a transgender athlete at an Idaho university, and lower courts ruled that it violates the equal protection clause of the US Constitution.&nbsp;"Idaho's law classifies on the basis of sex, because sex is what matters in sports," not gender identity, Alan Hurst, the Idaho solicitor general, told the court.&nbsp;"It correlates strongly with countless athletic advantages like size, muscle mass, bone mass and heart and lung capacity," Hurst said. "If women don't have their own competitions, they won't be able to compete."&nbsp;Kathleen Hartnett, an attorney for the Idaho woman who brought the case, pushed back, saying the number of transgender girls who have "participated and excelled" in competitive sports are "few and far between."&nbsp;Hartnett also argued that transgender girls who have undergone testosterone suppressant treatments do not have a competitive edge and have "mitigated their biological advantage of being born male."&nbsp;Justice Samuel Alito, one of the six conservatives on the nine-member court, took issue with that, saying "there is a healthy scientific dispute about the efficacy of some of these treatments."&nbsp;"There are an awful lot of female athletes who are strongly opposed to participation by trans athletes in competitions with them," Alito added. "Are they deluded in thinking that they are subjected to unfair competition?"&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-steve-smith-to-joe-root-5-active-batters-with-most-runs-in-ashes-ben-stokes-jonny-bairstow-usman-khawaja-1762275784636">From Steve Smith to Joe Root, 5 active batters with most runs in Ashes</a><h2>Harm</h2>West Virginia's 2021 Save Women's Sports Act was challenged by a middle school student who was not allowed to compete for the girls' track team.&nbsp;An appeals court ruled that the ban amounted to discrimination on the basis of sex and violated Title IX, the federal civil rights law which prohibits sex-based discrimination in educational programs.&nbsp;West Virginia Solicitor General Michael Williams urged the Supreme Court to reverse that ruling because it means schools "can no longer designate teams by looking to biological sex."&nbsp;"Instead, schools must place students on sports teams based on their self-identified gender," Williams said.&nbsp;"But that idea turns Title IX, a law Congress passed to protect educational opportunities for girls, into a law that actually denies those opportunities for girls," he said.&nbsp;Justice Brett Kavanaugh, a conservative, appeared sympathetic to that argument.&nbsp;"I hate, hate that a kid who wants to play sports might not be able to play sports," Kavanaugh said. "But it's kind of a zero-sum game for a lot of teams.&nbsp;"Someone who tries out and makes it who is a transgender girl will bump from the starting lineup, from playing time, from the team... someone else," he said. "There's a harm there."&nbsp;Kavanaugh also noted that the US Olympic Committee and National Collegiate Athletic Association do not allow transgender women to compete in women's sports.&nbsp;Those moves came after President Donald Trump issued an executive order in February that enables federal agencies to deny funding to schools that allow transgender athletes to compete on girls' or women's teams.&nbsp;University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas became a lightning rod in the debate over transgender athletes in women's sports after competing in female collegiate meets in 2022.&nbsp;Some fellow swimmers said Thomas, who had earlier swum on UPenn's men's team, should not have been allowed to compete against women due to an unfair physiological advantage.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-leonard-hutton-to-don-bradman-5-batters-with-highest-individual-score-in-ashes-bob-simpson-bob-cowper-ashes-2025-26-1762276944046">From Leonard Hutton to Don Bradman, 5 batters with highest individual score in Ashes</a>&nbsp;UPenn eventually agreed to ban transgender athletes from its women's sports teams, settling a federal civil rights complaint stemming from the furor around Thomas.&nbsp;Supporters and opponents of both sides rallied outside the Supreme Court ahead of the hearing.&nbsp;Rebekah Bruesehoff, 19, a transgender college student from New Hampshire, said she enjoyed playing field hockey in school and it's "important that everyone has the right to participate fully in their school community."&nbsp;"This is so much more than just sports," Bruesehoff said. "It's about being ourselves in the world today."&nbsp;The Supreme Court is expected to rule in June or early July.&nbsp;Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Twenty-seven US states have passed laws in recent years barring athletes who were assigned as male at birth from taking part in girls' or women's sports.

The US Supreme Court appeared likely on Tuesday in a closely watched pair of cases to uphold state bans on the participation of transgender athletes in girls' and women's sports. The conservative-dominated court heard more than three hours of arguments in separate challenges to state laws in Idaho and West Virginia banning transgender students from female competition. Twenty-seven US states have passed laws in recent years barring athletes who were assigned as male at birth from taking part in girls' or women's sports. The Idaho case stems from the Republican-led state's 2020 Fairness in Women's Sports Act. The act was challenged by a transgender athlete at an Idaho university, and lower courts ruled that it violates the equal protection clause of the US Constitution. "Idaho's law classifies on the basis of sex, because sex is what matters in sports," not gender identity, Alan Hurst, the Idaho solicitor general, told the court. "It correlates strongly with countless athletic advantages like size, muscle mass, bone mass and heart and lung capacity," Hurst said. "If women don't have their own competitions, they won't be able to compete." Kathleen Hartnett, an attorney for the Idaho woman who brought the case, pushed back, saying the number of transgender girls who have "participated and excelled" in competitive sports are "few and far between." Hartnett also argued that transgender girls who have undergone testosterone suppressant treatments do not have a competitive edge and have "mitigated their biological advantage of being born male." Justice Samuel Alito, one of the six conservatives on the nine-member court, took issue with that, saying "there is a healthy scientific dispute about the efficacy of some of these treatments." "There are an awful lot of female athletes who are strongly opposed to participation by trans athletes in competitions with them," Alito added. "Are they deluded in thinking that they are subjected to unfair competition?" ALSO READ | From Steve Smith to Joe Root, 5 active batters with most runs in Ashes Harm West Virginia's 2021 Save Women's Sports Act was challenged by a middle school student who was not allowed to compete for the girls' track team. An appeals court ruled that the ban amounted to discrimination on the basis of sex and violated Title IX, the federal civil rights law which prohibits sex-based discrimination in educational programs. West Virginia Solicitor General Michael Williams urged the Supreme Court to reverse that ruling because it means schools "can no longer designate teams by looking to biological sex." "Instead, schools must place students on sports teams based on their self-identified gender," Williams said. "But that idea turns Title IX, a law Congress passed to protect educational opportunities for girls, into a law that actually denies those opportunities for girls," he said. Justice Brett Kavanaugh, a conservative, appeared sympathetic to that argument. "I hate, hate that a kid who wants to play sports might not be able to play sports," Kavanaugh said. "But it's kind of a zero-sum game for a lot of teams. "Someone who tries out and makes it who is a transgender girl will bump from the starting lineup, from playing time, from the team... someone else," he said. "There's a harm there." Kavanaugh also noted that the US Olympic Committee and National Collegiate Athletic Association do not allow transgender women to compete in women's sports. Those moves came after President Donald Trump issued an executive order in February that enables federal agencies to deny funding to schools that allow transgender athletes to compete on girls' or women's teams. University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas became a lightning rod in the debate over transgender athletes in women's sports after competing in female collegiate meets in 2022. Some fellow swimmers said Thomas, who had earlier swum on UPenn's men's team, should not have been allowed to compete against women due to an unfair physiological advantage. ALSO READ | From Leonard Hutton to Don Bradman, 5 batters with highest individual score in Ashes UPenn eventually agreed to ban transgender athletes from its women's sports teams, settling a federal civil rights complaint stemming from the furor around Thomas. Supporters and opponents of both sides rallied outside the Supreme Court ahead of the hearing. Rebekah Bruesehoff, 19, a transgender college student from New Hampshire, said she enjoyed playing field hockey in school and it's "important that everyone has the right to participate fully in their school community." "This is so much more than just sports," Bruesehoff said. "It's about being ourselves in the world today." The Supreme Court is expected to rule in June or early July. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Twenty-seven US states have passed laws in recent years barring athletes who were assigned as male at birth from taking part in girls' or women's sports.

US Supreme Court seems poised to uphold transgender athlete bans

New Zealand's team said on Saturday they were helping weightlifter Laurel Hubbard cope with the "huge focus" as she prepares to become the first transgender&nbsp;Olympic&nbsp;athlete.

Hubbard, who was born male but transitioned to female in her 30s, has sparked debate with her selection, which came after she met the qualification criteria for transgender competitors.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/new-zealand-weightlifter-selected-as-first-transgender-olympian-393005">New Zealand weightlifter selected as first transgender Olympian</a>

"We are working really closely with Laurel, as we do with any athlete, but particularly because of the huge focus on her," New Zealand&nbsp;Olympic&nbsp;Committee communications director Ashley Abbott said.

"To look at what is going to be best for her in terms of interaction with the media. So, of course, there's limits and things like that."

Hubbard became eligible to lift as a woman after proving her testosterone levels were below the threshold required by the International&nbsp;Olympic&nbsp;Committee. She will contest the women's +87kg category in Tokyo.

IOC rules state a trans woman can compete provided her testosterone levels are below 10 nanomoles per litre.

But critics say Hubbard has numerous physical advantages from growing up male that makes her presence in the competition unfair for female-born athletes.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/new-zealand-picks-first-transgender-athlete-for-olympics-392958/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Hubbard, an intensely private person who avoids the media, also competed at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on Australia's Gold Coast, where she suffered a career-threatening injury.

"We will continue to work with her and make sure she is supported at all times and has got an understanding about what the environment might be like," Abbott said.

"It's certainly something we have considered."

New Zealand's team said on Saturday they were helping weightlifter Laurel Hubbard cope with the "huge focus" as she prepares to become the first transgender Olympic athlete.

New Zealand's team said on Saturday they were helping weightlifter Laurel Hubbard cope with the "huge focus" as she prepares to become the first transgender Olympic athlete. Hubbard, who was born male but transitioned to female in her 30s, has sparked debate with her selection, which came after she met the qualification criteria for transgender competitors. Also read | New Zealand weightlifter selected as first transgender Olympian "We are working really closely with Laurel, as we do with any athlete, but particularly because of the huge focus on her," New Zealand Olympic Committee communications director Ashley Abbott said. "To look at what is going to be best for her in terms of interaction with the media. So, of course, there's limits and things like that." Hubbard became eligible to lift as a woman after proving her testosterone levels were below the threshold required by the International Olympic Committee. She will contest the women's +87kg category in Tokyo. IOC rules state a trans woman can compete provided her testosterone levels are below 10 nanomoles per litre. But critics say Hubbard has numerous physical advantages from growing up male that makes her presence in the competition unfair for female-born athletes. Hubbard, an intensely private person who avoids the media, also competed at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on Australia's Gold Coast, where she suffered a career-threatening injury. "We will continue to work with her and make sure she is supported at all times and has got an understanding about what the environment might be like," Abbott said. "It's certainly something we have considered."

New Zealand say 'huge focus' on trans trailblazer at Tokyo Olympics

43-year-old weightlifter Laurel Hubbard will create history by becoming the first transgender athlete to compete at the Olympics Games after New Zealand picked her for participating in the women’s team at Tokyo 2021.

New Zealand picks first transgender athlete for Olympics

transgender-athlete

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