High court says states may limit girls’ and women’s school sports to biological females; Oklahoma’s Save Women’s Sports Act remains enforceable.
OKLAHOMA CITY — The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that states may prohibit transgender girls from competing on girls’ and women’s athletic teams at publicly funded schools, a decision that reinforces Oklahoma’s authority to enforce its Save Women’s Sports Act.
In a 6-3 decision, the court upheld laws in Idaho and West Virginia that restrict participation on girls’ and women’s teams based on biological sex. The majority concluded that Title IX permits sex-separated athletic teams and allows states to define eligibility based on biological sex.
The ruling leaves Oklahoma’s Save Women’s Sports Act, enacted in 2022, on firm legal footing. The law limits participation on girls’ and women’s athletic teams at public schools and colleges to biological females.
Attorney General Gentner Drummond praised the decision, saying it protects fairness in women’s athletics.
“I appreciate the court’s decision which will allow Oklahoma to ensure fair competition for female athletes,” Drummond said. “Athletic competitions should be based on biological sex. I will continue to defend and enforce commonsense laws that preserve competitive fairness in female sports.”
Drummond’s office said he joined two multistate amicus briefs supporting the laws before the Supreme Court. The briefs argued that Title IX was intended to expand athletic opportunities for women and girls and that states should be permitted to preserve separate female athletic competitions.
Supporters of the laws have argued they are necessary to ensure competitive fairness and protect opportunities for female athletes. Opponents have contended the restrictions discriminate against transgender students in violation of federal law and the Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause.
Legislative leaders also praised the decision.
House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, said the ruling affirms Oklahoma’s leadership after lawmakers approved the Save Women’s Sports Act in 2022.
“This is a victory for common sense and the generations of women and girls who fought for equal opportunity in athletics,” Hilbert said. “Title IX was created to expand opportunities for women, not erase them.”
Senate President Pro Tempore Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, said the decision validates Oklahoma’s approach.
“The U.S. Supreme Court got it right,” Paxton said. “Oklahoma already had measures in place to safeguard our female athletes, and the Court’s ruling validates our efforts.”
Tuesday’s decision is the latest in a series of Supreme Court rulings involving transgender rights. Last year, the court upheld a Tennessee law restricting gender-affirming medical care for minors. Although the ruling resolves the challenges to the Idaho and West Virginia laws, questions involving transgender participation in other athletic settings and related issues are likely to continue in the courts.
