A Catholic school’s girl’s soccer team in New Hampshire recently boycotted a game against a team with a transgender player. Kearsarge Regional High School in North Sutton, New Hampshire, has a girls’ soccer team that includes a transgender player, Maelle Jacques. Despite a state law in New Hampshire that restricts transgender inclusion in girls’ sports, Jacques was allowed to play due to a federal court ruling that granted her the ability to continue playing until a final decision is made. The issue of transgender inclusion in women’s sports has been a priority for former President Trump, who has advocated for banning biological males from competing in girls’ and women’s sports.
New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu signed the “Fairness in Women’s Sports Act” into law in July, which prohibits transgender girls and women from competing on girls’ and women’s sports teams. However, Jacques and another transgender athlete sued to block the law, and a federal court granted a preliminary injunction allowing them to continue playing. The ruling judge, Landya McCafferty, was appointed by former President Obama. The issue of transgender inclusion in women’s sports has been a topic of debate between Republicans and Democrats during the Biden-Harris administration, with differing views on the matter.
Democrats, supported by the Biden-Harris administration, have taken steps to enable transgender inclusion in women’s sports, while Republicans have opposed these efforts. Multiple states have enacted laws or filed lawsuits to address the issue, with some Republican governors issuing executive orders to prevent transgender athletes in women’s sports. The Supreme Court rejected an emergency request by the Biden administration to enforce a rule clarifying Title IX’s ban on sex discrimination to include discrimination based on gender identity. Idaho governor Brad Little issued an executive order to enforce the “Defending Women’s Sports Act,” requiring schools to prevent transgender athletes in women’s sports.
In Nevada, a state law passed in 2022 to protect gender identity has caused a rift between the school’s women’s volleyball players and the administration. With a game against San Jose State, which has a transgender player on its roster, Nevada’s players have expressed a desire to forfeit. However, the school cannot officially forfeit due to the state law. A total of 23 states in the U.S. have laws in place to prevent transgender inclusion in women’s sports, but the issue remains contentious at both the state and federal levels. The debate over transgender inclusion in women’s sports continues to be a topic of discussion and dispute among politicians, athletes, and the public.
