On June 30, 2026, the Supreme Court of the United States upheld state laws restricting transgender girls’ participation in girls’ school sports. Specifically, the Court rejected challenges brought by plaintiffs arguing that West Virginia’s Save Women’s Sports Act (2021) and Idaho’s Fairness in Women’s Sports Act (2020) violate the U.S. Constitution.
The Court considered whether these laws are consistent with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which prohibits sex discrimination in education, and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. All nine Justices agreed that the laws do not violate Title IX. On the constitutional question, six Justices concluded that the laws satisfy the Equal Protection Clause, while three Justices dissented.
The “sports” at issue in these cases are not the Olympic Games or professional sports, but school athletics and community-based youth sports. Furthermore, the ruling upholds state legislation; it does not immediately prohibit transgender girls from participating in girls’ sports throughout the United States.
Nevertheless, TransgenderJapan (TGJP) expresses its profound concern over this decision for the following reasons.
We recognize that fairness is an essential principle in sport. However, categorizing participants solely on the basis of sex does not necessarily ensure fairness in every circumstance. Inclusion in sport requires an ongoing effort to develop fair participation frameworks that reflect the characteristics and objectives of each sport and event.
Sport encompasses a wide range of activities with different purposes—from physical education classes and school extracurricular activities to community sports clubs and elite competitive sport. The meaning of fairness necessarily differs depending on those purposes. The two state laws, and the Supreme Court’s decision affirming them, fail to acknowledge these distinctions by focusing almost exclusively on maintaining rigid divisions between “boys’ sports” and “girls’ sports.” In doing so, they deprive educational institutions of opportunities to pursue inclusive practices while also denying transgender students opportunities to learn, participate, and belong.
Moreover, while these laws are primarily directed at excluding transgender girls, they fail even to acknowledge the existence of transgender boys and non-binary students. In this broader sense, transgender people as a whole are rendered invisible and excluded. Exclusion is not a path toward greater fairness. Rather, it stands in the way of building sporting environments that are both equitable and inclusive.
Whether children experience inclusion or exclusion has a profound impact on their personal development. Some children have consistently expressed their gender identity from an early age, while others come to understand their gender identity only as they grow older and may continue to struggle because they lack opportunities to share it with those around them. Policies that exclude transgender students from school sports risk conveying the message that they are not welcome. Such policies may foster self-denial, discourage students from seeking support from trusted teachers or friends, and deepen social isolation. Schools should be places where children are respected, supported by their teachers and peers, and able to grow into their authentic selves. We are deeply concerned that this ruling gives insufficient consideration to these fundamental educational values and to children’s healthy development.
It is also important to recognize that transgender people are estimated to comprise only approximately 0.3 to 1.0 percent of the population. The number of transgender students is correspondingly small. Despite this, the participation of transgender girls in girls’ school sports—a highly limited and uncommon circumstance—has become the subject of disproportionate political controversy. We find this deeply troubling.
We are further concerned that this decision may embolden hate crimes and institutional discrimination against transgender people in the United States and encourage similar developments elsewhere, including Japan.
At the same time, numerous organizations and advocates—including Human Rights Campaign, National Center for Lesbian Rights, Athlete Ally, and GLAAD—have already issued statements opposing this ruling. We stand in solidarity with these voices and will continue working to advance inclusion and to protect and expand the human rights of transgender people.
The question before us is not whom to exclude.
Rather, we should ask: What is the purpose of schools? What is the purpose of sport? How can we create educational environments where children learn to respect one another and where people of diverse backgrounds can learn, participate, and grow together?
These are the questions that deserve our greatest attention today.
July 1, 2026
TransgenderJapan
