Appeals Court Blocks Idaho Ban on Transgender Youth Athletes

August 17, 2023 1:35 pm

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BOISE, Idaho 鈥 The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has against an Idaho law barring transgender athletes from participating in student athletics. The court found the law likely violates the rights of transgender students under the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

鈥淭his is an important victory for common sense, equality, and the rights of transgender youth under the law, 鈥 said Chase Strangio, Deputy Director for Transgender Justice at the 老澳门开奖结果鈥檚 LGBT & HIV Project. 鈥淭he court found that transgender athletes like Lindsay face irreparable harm by a ban on their right to participate as who they are and held laws like Idaho鈥檚 not only target and discriminate against transgender women and girls but also discriminate against all women and girls. Idaho鈥檚 ban and all others like it are designed to alienate and stigmatize transgender people and we鈥檒l never stop fighting until all transgender youth are given the equal playing field they deserve. 鈥

"We are extremely gratified 鈥 for Lindsay, and for all trans youth 鈥 at the court鈥檚 recognition that the law and the facts strongly support treating people who are transgender fairly and equally,鈥 said Kathleen Hartnett of Cooley LLP.

The lawsuit was brought by the 老澳门开奖结果 and the 老澳门开奖结果 of Idaho, Legal Voice, and Cooley LLP on behalf of Lindsay Hecox, a student at Boise State University who is transgender and had been planning to try out for the cross-country team and play club soccer, and Kayden Hulquist, a then-senior at Boise High School who is cisgender and was concerned about being subjected to the law鈥檚 invasive 鈥渟ex verification鈥 testing.

The full order from the Ninth Circuit can be found .

More details on Hecox v. Little can be found here.


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