California can continue its long-held policy of allowing transgender student athletes to play on girls\u2019 and women\u2019s sports teams, despite a U.S. Supreme Court ruling this week that upheld restrictions in 27 states.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith this ruling, schools and states like California can continue to adopt inclusive policies that ensure every student is treated with dignity and respect,\u201d Tony Hoang, executive director of the LGBTQ advocacy group Equality California said. \u201cInclusive policies are working across the country, including here in California, where transgender young people have participated in school sports for years without incident.\u201d<\/p>\n
The court\u2019s 6-3 decision<\/a> announced Tuesday allows \u2013 but doesn\u2019t require \u2013 states to bar transgender student athletes from playing on girls\u2019 and women\u2019s sports teams, upholding state laws in Idaho and West Virginia. Including California, 23 states let transgender students play on teams that align with their gender identity. That means California and 22 other states that let transgender students play on teams that align with their gender identity can continue to do so.<\/p>\n Proponents of a ban also celebrated the court\u2019s ruling, saying it\u2019s a major step forward in their fight to keep transgender athletes out of girls sports, and it potentially opens the door to restrictions in the future.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Supreme Court just delivered a major victory for girls and for common sense,\u201d said Sonja Shaw, a Chino Valley Unified school board member who\u2019s running for state superintendent. She added that \u201cCalifornia should be leading the nation in protecting girls, not forcing them to surrender their rights \u2026 We will continue fighting until every girl has the opportunity to compete on a level playing field.\u201d<\/p>\n California, an epicenter of the LGBTQ rights movement, has long maintained policies that protect transgender students<\/a> in K-12 schools. The California Interscholastic Federation, which oversees high school sports in the state, also allows transgender students to play on sports teams that align with their gender identity.<\/p>\n