A federal appeals court on Friday rejected a challenge to Connecticut’s policy to allow transgender girls to compete in girls’ high school sports, rejecting the arguments of four cisgender runners who said they were unfairly forced to race against transgender athletes.
A three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York City has upheld a lower court judge’s dismissal of a lawsuit challenging the policy. The panel said the four cisgender athletes lacked standing to sue — in part because their claims that they were deprived of wins, state titles and athletic scholarship opportunities were speculative.
“All four plaintiffs regularly compete at state track championships as high school athletes, where Plaintiffs have had the opportunity to compete for state titles in various events,” the decision said. “And, on numerous occasions, the Plaintiffs were indeed ‘champions’, finishing first in various events, even sometimes competing against (transgender athletes).”
In this 2019 file photo, Bloomfield High School transgender athlete Terry Miller, second from left, wins the final of the 55-meter dash over transgender athlete Andraya Yearwood, far left, and other runners in Connecticut’s Class S girls indoor track meet at Hillhouse. High school in New Haven. In response to a lawsuit brought by three female high school runners, the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference argues that it is exempt from Title IX, which guarantees equal access to women and girls in education, including athletics The suit claims that male anatomy gives trans runners an unfair advantage in violation of Title IX.
The judges added: “The plaintiff was not deprived of a ‘chance to be champions.’
The Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Council has argued that its policy is designed to comply with a state law requiring that all high school students be treated according to their gender identity. He also said the policy is in compliance with Title IX, the federal law that allows women equal educational opportunities, including in athletics.
The American Civil Liberties Union defended the two transgender athletes at the center of the lawsuit – Terry Miller and Andraya Yearwood.
“Today’s decision is a critical victory for fairness, equality and inclusion” Joshua Block, attorney for LGBTQ & HIV project, he said in a statement. “This critical victory strikes at the heart of political attacks against transgender youth while helping to ensure that every young person has the right to play.”
The American Civil Liberties Union defended the two transgender athletes at the center of the lawsuit – Terry Miller and Andraya Yearwood (pictured)
The ability of transgender athletes to compete in sports is the subject of an ongoing national debate. At least 12 Republican-led states have passed laws banning women or transgender women from sports based on the premise that it gives them an unfair competitive advantage.
Defenders of transgender rights against such laws are not only about sports, but another way to undermine and attack young transgender people.
Christiana Kiefer, an attorney with the conservative Alliance Defending Freedom who represented the four cisgender Connecticut athletes, said she and other alliance attorneys are considering how to respond, including possibly asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review Friday’s decision.
“Our clients, like all female athletes across the country, deserve fair competition,” Kiefer said in a phone interview. “And that means a fair and equal quality of competition, and that just doesn’t happen when you’re forced to compete against biological males in their sports.”
Kiefer added: “Most of the American public recognizes that in order to have a fair sport, we have to protect the female category, and I think we’re seeing this trend more and more with states across the country passing laws to protect the women’s sports. … This is certainly not the end of the road in the fight for equity for female athletes.’
Danbury High School sophomore Alanna Smith speaks during a news conference at the Connecticut State Capitol in Hartford, Connecticut on Wednesday, February 12, 2020. Smith, the daughter of former Major League pitcher Lee Smith , is among three girls suing to block a state policy. allowing transgender athletes to compete in girls’ sports
The plaintiffs sought injunctions to prevent enforcement of the state’s policy on transgender athletes and to remove records set by transgender athletes from the books, as well as monetary damages.
In arguments before a federal judge in Connecticut in February 2021, Roger Brooks, another attorney for the Alliance Defending Freedom, said that Title IX guarantees girls an “equal quality” of competition, which he said is was denied to have the race of people with what he described as. inherent physiological advantages.
Brooks said transgender sprinters improperly won 15 championship races between 2017 and 2020 and cost cisgender girls the opportunity to advance to other races 85 times.
Miller and Yearwood, the transgender sprinters from Bloomfield and Cromwell, respectively, often outscored their cisgender competitors.
Actors competed directly against them, almost always losing to Miller and usually finishing behind Yearwood. One of the players, Chelsea Mitchell of Canton High School, finished third in the 2019 state championship in the girls’ 55-meter indoor track competition behind Miller and Yearwood.
Since then all the athletes have graduated from high school.
Sumerian and Akkadian texts from 4,500 years ago document priests known as gala who could be transgender. Probably depictions are in art around the Mediterranean from 9,000 to 3,700 years ago. In ancient Greece, in Phrygia and Rome, there were Gallic priests who some scholars think were trans women.
What sports are not separated by gender?
Real mixed sex sports
- Equestrian: An Olympic sport in which competitors ride horses, equestrian consists of dressage, jumping and eventing. See the article : Ehsan Kassim joins the Democratic sports team as a Florida state beatwriter. Men and women compete in this event together. …
- Sailing: Men and women compete together in sailing although only in one particular class, the Nacre 17.
Are there mixed gender sports? Several sports such as relays [1], golf [2] and volleyball [3] illustrate the change, and have already tried to incorporate mixed competitions in their field. To accelerate this trend, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has also adopted more mixed-sex competitions in recent Olympic games [4].
What sports do females dominate?
For example, football, basketball, baseball, wrestling, boxing, and hockey are examples of male-dominated sports because they are thought to be more “masculine.” sports dominated by females because they are more âfeminine.â
What Olympic sports are only one gender?
Nordic combined, which combines ski jumping and cross-country skiing, is the only Olympic sport without gender equity: There is no female competition at the Games. Read also : Elevate considers college sports ready for disruption. “I think it’s absurd that a person can achieve their dreams in this coming year and one just has to keep pushing to be in 2026,” he said.
Can transgender males compete in women’s sports?
A trans male (FTM) student-athlete who does not take testosterone related to gender transition may participate on either a men’s or women’s team. See the article : Under pressure: Is sport too intense for young people?. A trans female (MTF) transgender student-athlete who is not taking hormone treatments related to gender transition cannot compete on a female team.
What are the rules for transgender athletes? Beginning August 1, 2023, participation in NCAA sports requires transgender student-athletes to provide documentation that meets the sport’s specific standard submitted twice a year (once a the beginning of the competition season and the second six months later) for one year.
Can transgender run in Olympics?
Although track-specific rules barred some athletes from racing this summer, other Olympic rules allowed openly transgender athletes to compete for the first time.
Can transgender athletes compete in sports?
Only one known transgender athlete has won an Olympic medal in a women’s competition, Canadian soccer player Quinn, who was assigned female at birth and identifies as non-binary. And only two openly transgender female athletes appear to have won N.C.A.A.
Who is the best transgender in the world?
Naaz Joshi (born December 31, 1984 in New Delhi, India) is India’s first transgender international beauty queen, a trans rights activist, and a motivational speaker. Joshi has won the Miss World Diversity beauty pageant three times in a row.
Who is the first transgender woman in the world?
Who is the world’s first transgender?
Michael Dillon (1915-1962) was the first person in the world to transition from female to male through hormones and surgery. From an aristocratic family, Dillon led the women’s rowing team to many victories while at Oxford University in the 1930s.
Who is India’s first transgender?
Joyita Mondal is India’s first transgender judge and stands as the epitome of hard work, dedication and perseverance. His work raises hope for transgender people around the world.
Who is the famous transgender in the world?
Probably the most famous trans celebrity is actress and activist Laverne Cox, who is primarily known for her role in the Netflix series “Orange Is the New Black.” Cox has the distinction of being the first transgender performer nominated for an Emmy in an acting category.
