California Attorney General Rob Bonta has joined a coalition of 15 attorneys general in submitting an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court, opposing laws in West Virginia and Idaho that prevent transgender girls from participating in youth sports according to their gender identity. The cases, Little v. Hecox and Virginia v. B.P.J., involve transgender female students who have challenged these state laws.
Attorney General Bonta stated, “All children deserve the right to fully participate in school activities as their authentic selves. Policies that block transgender students from joining sports teams consistent with their gender identity are both discriminatory and unlawful. Whether it be rebuking military service bans, defending gender-affirming care, or opposing unjust school policies like these, my office will continue to fight against threats to LGBTQ+ individuals’ rights wherever and whenever they arise.”
The lawsuits were filed by Lindsay Hecox in Idaho and P.B.J. in West Virginia after both states enacted laws barring transgender female students from joining sex-separated sports teams matching their gender identity. Federal appeals courts ruled in favor of the plaintiffs: the Fourth Circuit found that West Virginia’s law violated Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, while the Ninth Circuit determined that Idaho’s law likely violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
In their brief, the attorneys general urge the Supreme Court to uphold these lower court decisions. They argue that protecting transgender youth from discrimination helps prevent physical and mental harm and supports positive school environments with better learning outcomes. The coalition also contends that because these laws target only transgender women and girls—not transgender men or cisgender individuals—they violate federal protections against sex-based discrimination under both Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause.
Additionally, the brief asserts that Title IX does not prevent states from allowing transgender students access to sex-separated spaces consistent with their gender identity.
The coalition includes attorneys general from New York, Hawai’i, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, California (Bonta), and the District of Columbia.
A copy of the amicus brief is available online.
