Devastating Loss for Trans Youth, Civil Rights
Today, the U.S. Supreme Court announced its decision in West Virginia v. BPJ and Little v. Hecox, two cases challenging laws in Idaho and West Virginia that ban transgender youth from playing sports with their peers.
In response, Debra Hauser, President of the national youth activism and reproductive health organization Advocates for Youth, issued the following statement:
“Today’s decision is a devastating loss, not just for transgender youth and their families, but for everyone who believes discrimination has no place in our society. In a major overreach of its powers, the Supreme Court has watered down protections against sex discrimination and eroded civil rights for all of us.
School sports are about much more than competition. Every student deserves the chance to learn about teamwork, discipline, and sportsmanship in an affirming and supportive environment. By denying transgender students the opportunity to gain these skills, the Supreme Court hurts every young person and helps no one. We cannot let extremists play politics with students’ lives and wellbeing.
Despite this terrible ruling, the work continues. Try as they might, extremists cannot force transgender people out of public life. Transgender youth deserve joy, peace, inclusion, and power, and we will organize alongside them to make sure they get it. We must continue to reject hateful attacks on all of our civil rights.”
At a rally outside the Supreme Court during oral arguments in West Virginia v. BPJ and Little v. Hecox, youth activist Marlin (he/him), stated:
“I was once so scared of rejection and judgment that I couldn’t participate in any extracurricular activities. Even opportunities I desperately wanted to pursue felt impossible because I knew that my accomplishments wouldn’t be credited to a name I could truly call my own.
Every kid should be able to feel safe and welcomed in school. We live in incredibly scary and uncertain times, and for many trans youth, schools are the only places where they can find hope and be themselves. Excluding trans people from school sports teams and from civil rights protections more broadly is deliberate and malicious. Laws targeting trans youth hurt ALL young people and undermine civil rights for all of us.”
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Advocates for Youth is a 501(c)3 organization that champions efforts that help young people make informed decisions about their reproductive and sexual health. Advocates for Youth boldly advocates for a more positive and realistic approach to adolescent sexual health, focusing its work on young people ages 14-24 in the U.S. and around the globe.