The pair of lawsuits being considered by the Supreme Court on Tuesday were filed by transgender athletes from West Virginia and Idaho. Becky Pepper-Jackson, a high school sophomore in West Virginia, and Lindsay Hecox, a college senior in Idaho, contend state laws that would bar transgender females from participating on sports teams for women and girls are unconstitutional.
Ms. Pepper-Jackson sued her state in 2021 to join her middle school girls’ cross-country team. During years of litigation, she has become an accomplished shot-putter and discus thrower on her high school track and field team.
She transitioned in third grade, legally changed her name and has a birth certificate that recognizes her as female. Ms. Pepper-Jackson says she takes puberty-blocking medication and has not gone through typical male puberty, which her lawyers say means she does not have a competitive edge over athletes assigned female at birth.
Ms. Hecox, who attends Boise State University, sued in 2020 to try out for the women’s track and cross-country teams. She failed to make the teams and instead participated in women’s club running and soccer.
Ms. Hecox, who receives testosterone suppression and estrogen treatment, moved to withdraw her case in September and said she would refrain from playing school-sponsored women’s sports. She cited negative public scrutiny because of the case that would distract from her academics and plans to graduate in May. In response, the justices said they would defer a decision about whether to dismiss her case as moot until after Tuesday’s argument.
Ann Marimow covers the Supreme Court for The Times from Washington.
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