The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday on whether to uphold state laws banning transgender athletes from competing on women’s sports teams, and Catholic athletes outside the court said they hope justices keep the laws on the books.
Mary Pennefather, captain of the women’s basketball team for Christendom College in Front Royal, Virginia, said: “If these court cases are allowed to happen, then say goodbye to all women’s sports, because then all the transgender athletes will just come and play in the women’s sports and get their national champion championships and NCAA titles from there.”
The challenges were brought by two transgender athletes: 15-year-old West Virginia high school student Becky Pepper-Jackson, and Boise State University student Lindsey Hecox of Idaho, who had attempted to withdraw the case but was ultimately denied. The court heard more than three hours of arguments regarding two cases originating from Idaho and West Virginia in which lower courts upheld challenges by transgender athletes to statewide bans under the U.S. Constitution and federal anti-discrimination law. Supreme Court justices including Brett Kavanaugh, Samuel Alito, and Neil Gorsuch appeared to back the bans at several points during the oral arguments, while justices Ketanji Brown-Jackson and Sotomayor voiced dissent.
Greater detail of the case, including amicus briefs filed by U.S. bishops, can be found here at the Catholic News Agency website.