Jazz Jennings urges Supreme Court to let trans kids play in sports

On Jan. 13, Jazz Jennings urged the U.S. Supreme Court to allow transgender girls to play on female sports teams as it heard cases from Idaho and West Virginia; the court appeared skeptical of the challengers and no final decision has been announced.

The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on Jan. 13 about whether transgender girls may compete on female school sports teams. The cases come from Idaho and West Virginia, where state laws restrict transgender girls' participation in school athletics. Jazz Jennings, a transgender rights advocate who has spoken about being barred from girls' soccer as a child, attended a rally in Washington, D.C., and urged the court to allow transgender students to play. The debate has drawn national attention because similar bans exist across many states. Key facts: - Idaho's law bars transgender women and girls from playing on female teams from primary school through college, including intramural and competitive teams. - West Virginia's legislation applies to students from middle school through college. - The article reports that 27 states currently bar transgender girls and women from joining female sports teams. - Chief Justice John Roberts expressed skepticism about the challengers' arguments, and the court appeared sympathetic to the state bans during oral arguments. - The students challenging the laws say the statutes do not account for individual circumstances, including medical treatments such as puberty blockers or hormone therapy that can affect athletic attributes. - Public figures including Jazz Jennings and Elliot Page attended events or shared messages highlighting the broader implications of the cases for transgender rights. Summary: The outcome could influence access to school sports and may have wider legal effects on protections for transgender people, as advocates have noted. A final ruling has not been announced and the immediate procedural timeline is undetermined at this time.