WASHINGTON, D.C. (LifeSiteNews) — The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled in favor of bans on “transgender” males competing on women’s and girls’ sports teams, handing a landmark victory to conservatives.
“Title IX allows schools to provide separate women’s and men’s sports teams defined by biological sex, and West Virginia has permissibly maintained female sports for biological females consistent with Title IX,” the Court ruled. It also upheld similar regulations under the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
The Court issued its opinion today in two cases. Little v. Hecox focused on an Idaho law that prohibits men from competing on women’s sports teams and whether that conflicted with the Equal Protection Clause. A related case, West Virginia v. B.P.J., focused on whether prohibitions violated Title IX. The Court’s three liberal justices joined in parts of the judgment while dissenting on other parts.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote the majority opinion.
“The question is whether Title IX permits schools to maintain women’s and girls’ sports for biological females. The answer is yes,” Justice Kavanaugh wrote.
The history of Title IX and a subsequent amendment applying to sports makes clear that federal law allows for limits on gender-confused men competing against women.
“In addition, the Title IX regulations allowed separate sports teams precisely because of the biological differences between the sexes — namely, the inherent physical differences between biological women and biological men,” the majority opinion stated.
Despite claims by the ACLU and a gender-confused athlete, the regulations are indeed reasonable, Kavanaugh wrote:
Separate sports teams for biological males and biological females are reasonable: Given the inherent physical differences between the sexes, allowing only biological females to play on women’s and girls’ teams can reduce the risk of physical injury and ensure fair competition. True, some might prefer a different rule allowing biological males who identify as female to participate on women’s and girls’ sports teams, at least in certain circumstances.
He also highlighted “safety risks” and “competitive fairness” in his opinion.
“Allowing a biological male athlete to compete on a girls’ team necessarily displaces or disadvantages a female athlete — replacing her on the roster, knocking her out of the starting lineup, reducing her playing time, depriving her of a medal, and the like,” Kavanaugh, a girls’ basketball coach, wrote. “That hard reality of sports cannot be ignored or swept under the rug.”
In a concurring opinion, Justice Neil Gorsuch also defended his controversial decision in Bostock County where he joined with liberal justices in declaring that men have a right to cross-dress at work.
Meanwhile, Justice Sonia Sotomayor joined with Justice Elena Kagan and Justice Ketanji Jackson to affirm “that neither Title IX nor the Equal Protection Clause protects B. P. J.’s ability to (compete against girls).”
Still, the trio dissented in part and referred to the student as a “transgender girl.”
They wanted the case remanded to lower courts for further examination, accusing the majority of being “unencumbered by fact or law.”
“(T)he majority today cuts off that process prematurely, deciding instead that B. P. J.’s case must end now,” they lamented.
🚨 JUST IN: Supreme Court UPHOLDS state laws banning boys in girls’ sports, HUGE BLOW TO THE TRANSGENDER CULT
GREAT NEWS!
Big win for women and sanity! 🇺🇸
Kavanaugh delivered the opinion. pic.twitter.com/BXGeQiejNQ
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) June 30, 2026
SCOTUS holds that schools can determine eligibility for women’s and girls’ sports teams based on biological sex!!!!!!!!!!!
— 🐻 Mary Elizabeth ⚾️ #FlyTheW (@marychastain) June 30, 2026
The American Principles Project also praised the ruling.
“The Supreme Court has handed down a landmark victory for fairness and sanity by restoring sex-based categories that protect female athletes,” Terry Schilling stated in comments sent to LifeSiteNews. “Girls deserve their own playing fields and private spaces, free from biological men who seek to invade them.”