Today, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in two cases—West Virginia v. B.P.J. and Little v. Hecox. Both cases seek to determine whether transgender athletes are permitted to play on sports teams that align with their gender. While a final decision on these cases will not be made until later this year, this represents a pivotal moment for the future of trans rights in the United States.

Through these cases, the Court is being asked to decide whether trans people are protected under the Equal Protection Clause and Title IX. While sports are the current focus, the impact and implications extend far beyond sports and will shape how discrimination, exclusion, and violence against trans people is addressed across many facets of public life.

It’s important to be clear about what’s happening here. 

As the costs of basic necessities rise, healthcare access is restricted, and life-saving programs are dismantled across the country, trans people are being used as a political scapegoat to distract Americans from the harmful policies and systemic failures coming from the federal government. Redirecting public anger to the trans community allows the federal government to avoid addressing the legitimate, day-to-day problems facing millions. 

Further, the focus on trans athletes is a disproportionate one. The number of trans people participating in sports is small, yet the harm caused by banning the inclusion of trans athletes is real. Sports offer belonging, confidence, and connection, as well as a chance to excel and thrive. To deny trans athletes access to these opportunities is not, and has never been, about fairness or safety—it is an act of targeted exclusion that benefits no one.

At a time when access to affirming healthcare, accurate identification documents, and anti-discrimination protections are under attack, this is yet another moment that seeks to legitimize anti-trans hate, strengthen federal discrimination, and strip away basic human rights. It’s impossible to ignore that efforts like this have been part of an ongoing strategy to push trans people out of public life. 

Trans people deserve the freedom to live openly and fully participate in society. Trans people deserve the same rights, protections, and opportunities as everyone else. We urge the Supreme Court to recognize what is at stake here—not just for transgender athletes, but for the fairness and equality they were appointed to uphold. It’s crucial to meet this moment and reject any and all efforts to exclude, harm, and erase trans people as a whole.

To our community: We are here with you, always. Our commitment to supporting transgender people and their families remains strong. We are resilient, and we will continue working toward a future where everyone can live and thrive without fear. As we move forward, we will work to ensure that the spaces where we can do that are always here.