WASHINGTON, D.C. — Twenty-seven attorneys general went to bat for female athletes across America. On June 30, the Supreme Court ruled in their favor — affirming that states may protect sex-based categories in sports and uphold the promise of Title IX.
This is the most significant victory for women’s sports in a generation, brought by Republican attorneys general. In their words:
“Common sense won again. We stood strong for our female athletes, and the Supreme Court agreed. Our daughters worked too hard, sacrificed too much, and dreamed too big to be pushed aside. Alabama led the way, and today, that leadership paid off.” — Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall
“This is a major victory that will protect female athletes for generations to come, and we’re proud to have partnered with our fellow attorneys general on both cases. Women’s sports are for women only, and now the US Supreme Court has agreed — upholding the legacy of Title IX and ensuring equal opportunity on the field. We have taken action here in Georgia to ensure fair competition and this decision paves the way for other states to do the same. It’s time for those who haven’t to stand up now and fight for women and girls across the country.” — Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr
“Today’s decision is a victory for common sense, fairness, and the countless girls and women who dedicate themselves to athletics. Idaho led the nation by becoming the first state to protect women’s sports, and I’ve never wavered in defending that law. 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.” — Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador
“It’s a very good day for women and girls in America. I applaud SCOTUS’s decision reaffirming that it is a woman’s right to compete on a level playing field and not be forced to compete against a man. It’s simple biology and common sense.” — Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird
“The court today confirmed what my office argued in the briefing to the court and what the vast majority of people see as common sense: it hurts female athletes if biological males are allowed to compete in the same events. It’s also against the law. Kansas’s law protecting women’s sports is now secure against attack from the ACLU.” — Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach
“It’s a relief to finally see this issue resolved but frankly it should never have been this hard or taken this long to have something so basic acknowledged. States can protect private spaces for biological sexes and can protect opportunities for women in sports under Title IX.” — Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill
“Today, we celebrate a huge victory for women’s and girls’ rights and safety in Montana and across the country. The laws affirmed today are common sense: men should not be allowed in women’s locker rooms or to compete in women’s sports. My hope is that moving forward women and girls can feel safe in the locker room and have the opportunity to participate in fair competitions, just as Title IX and generations of women before them fought for and intended. I will continue to do everything I can to protect women’s rights and defend Title IX as Attorney General.” — Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen
“Today, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states can keep men out of women’s school sports. I have strongly supported the Save Women’s Sports law in South Carolina to protect women’s sports in our state. This decision is a landmark in the fight to protect women and girls from the left’s woke assault.” — South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson
“Today’s ruling is a victory for every woman and girl who has expected a fair competition when they stepped onto the playing field. The court confirmed what Utah has maintained since 2022: states have the constitutional authority to set fair rules for girls and women’s school sports, and Title IX does not compel otherwise. Our office will continue to defend HB11 with this ruling now squarely behind us.” — Utah Attorney General Derek Brown
“This is a monumental victory for every female athlete who has ever competed, or dreamed of competing, on a fair and safe playing field. Today’s Supreme Court decision affirms what common sense and the law have long made clear: states have the right to designate sports teams based on biological sex, not gender identity. Without that delineation, Title IX is turned on its head and decades of hard-fought progress to advance female athletes is erased. I am immensely proud of my team for not only getting this issue before the Court but for delivering sound and successful arguments. This landmark victory will give all states, not just West Virginia, the clarity and confidence to ensure fairness and safety for female athletes today and for generations to come.” — West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey
“Republican Attorneys General have once again delivered a landmark win for the American people while Congress dithered. They were the last line of defense when women were told to step aside, but they were right on the facts. They were right on the Constitution. And they won for women. Women will know who fought for them, come November.” — Adam Piper, RAGA Executive Director
Background
The court ruled 9-0 that Title IX— the federal law that ensures equal opportunities for women in education and sports — and 6-3 that the Equal Protection Clause allows states to protect female athletes with sex based categories in sports.
Twenty-seven states now have laws protecting sex-based categories in school athletics. States including West Virginia and Idaho will be able to enforce those laws. Twenty-three states still permit gender identity to override biological sex, meaning male athletes continue to take titles, scholarships, records and opportunities from female athletes in nearly half the country.
West Virginia passed the Save Women’s Sports Act in 2021, requiring biological males to compete on boys-only or co-ed teams. A biological male student who identifies as female, identified in court documents as B.P.J., filed a lawsuit challenging the law, claiming it violated Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause. A district court ruled in favor of West Virginia, granting summary judgment. B.P.J. appealed, and the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in a split decision, ruled in B.P.J.’s favor. West Virginia appealed that ruling, and the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments Jan. 13, 2026.
Idaho passed the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act in 2020, the first such law in the nation, reserving women’s athletic teams for biological females. Shortly after the law passed — and before it took effect — the American Civil Liberties Union and other organizations sued on behalf of Lindsay Hecox, claiming the law violated the Equal Protection Clause. A district court ruled in Hecox’s favor, issuing a preliminary injunction. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the injunction and later denied a request for rehearing. Idaho appealed to the Supreme Court, which heard arguments in the case Jan. 13, 2026.
Twenty-seven attorneys general signed an amicus brief led by Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin and Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall: former Alaska Attorney General Stephen Cox, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador, Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman, New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella, North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley, former Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday, South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch, Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway, Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, Utah Attorney General Derek Brown, former Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, Wyoming Attorney General Keith Kautz, and Guam Attorney General Douglas Moylan. The full brief can be read here.
At the federal level, the House passed the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act 218-206 on Jan. 14, 2025; the Senate has not taken it up. President Trump issued an executive order in February 2025 directing federal agencies to recognize biological sex in women’s sports — an order that blue states continue to disregard.
The ruling has implications for this election season: roughly 80% of Americans — including 70% in California — believe women’s sports should be reserved for biological women. In the 23 states where girls are still unprotected, that gap between public opinion and state law is driving citizen-led action. Washington and Colorado have qualified ballot initiatives for Nov. 3, 2026. Maine’s “Girl Dads” are pushing a measure to designate public school sports, restrooms and locker rooms exclusively by biological sex. Nebraska and Nevada are gathering signatures for constitutional amendments. Democratic attorneys general in these states are facing the beginning of a fight, not the end of one.
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