Supreme Court upholds ruling on transgender athletes; reactions pour in

AUSTIN, Texas - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled to uphold state laws banning transgender athletes from female sports. 

The ruling doesn't change anything in Texas because those laws are already in place. 

The backstory:

Tuesday's Supreme Court decision stems from two consolidated cases in Idaho and West Virginia that challenged state laws that say participating in women's sports is based on a student's sex assigned at birth. 

Twenty-seven states have similar laws.

The transgender students who brought the cases forward argued the laws violated the Equal Protection Clause and conflict with Title IX, which bans sex discrimination in education.

The Supreme Court ruled the laws don't violate Title IX. Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote, "states may maintain women's and girls' sports for biological females" to address safety and competitive fairness concerns.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor dissented, saying "we just simply do not know scientifically that transgender students pose dangers."

What they're saying:

Paul Castillo, deputy legal director with Lambda Legal, says the ruling is painful for transgender athletes.

"Courts can get things wrong, and this one did today. The decision does not undermine the strength or the dignity of trans youth across the country," he said.

This isn't a nationwide ban, it simply reinforces states that have the laws. The ruling is limited to sports, not other school activities.

"For trans youth across the country, you are not alone. This ruling does not decide your worth," Castillo said. "Every young person, regardless of who they are, should be allowed to live openly and authentically and also be a part of the school community."

Naveen Farrani, strategic communications manager at Equality Texas, released the following statement: "This ruling is misguided and deeply disappointing. Banning trans girls from playing on sports teams with other girls is cruel, and policies like this only encourage a culture of suspicion, scrutiny, and harassment directed toward any woman or girl who does not appear "feminine enough." Sports should be about cooperation, camaraderie, and trust, but those values have been compromised to appease a handful of politicians."

The other side:

Gov. Greg Abbott posted on X saying, "Today fairness prevailed. Female athletes earned their place -- and now it's protected." 

Mary Elizabeth Castle, director of government relations at Texas Values, says the ruling is the right decision.

"No one is banned from playing sports, everyone can play in their sport in their respective sex category. This is a matter of protecting women, making sure that men who just naturally have greater advantages with muscle mass, with heart capacity, and even with testosterone levels aren't taking away those victories from women or putting them in danger of injury," she said.

Kate Bierly, the Next Generation Texas Campaign Director at Texas Public Policy Foundation, says states can rest assured the Constitution is on their side. She says this issue hits home for her because she was a D1 Varsity athlete herself.

"I remember waking up before school in the morning and going out with my dad and practicing. A lot of these girls right now, this is being taken from them. The years of sacrifice, it's traded away from them to men who simply think that they're girls," she said. "Real inclusion means giving women and girls a fair level playing field to compete on."

What's next:

Both sides want Congress to take another step. 

For those opposed to the ruling, they want Congress to make adjustments to IX to protect transgender athletes. 

Those who support the ruling want Congress to codify the Supreme Court's decision.