A Lawsuit Over Idaho’s Transgender Athlete Ban Will Likely Proceed
A federal lawsuit challenging Idaho’s ban on transgender athletes in women’s sports will likely move forward after both sides agreed that the woman who sued is again enrolled at Boise State University and competing in school athletics.
Idaho in 2020 became the first state in the nation to ban transgender women and girls from playing on women’s sports teams sponsored by public schools, colleges and universities. Several GOP-led states have followed suit, and the lawsuit from Lindsay Hecox could set precedent for whether such policies violate federal anti-discrimination rules.
The American Civil Liberties Union and the women’s rights group Legal Voice sued Idaho on behalf of Hecox, who hoped to run for Boise State University. A Boise-area high school athlete who is not transgender is also a plaintiff in the case because she fears the law could force her to undergo invasive tests to prove her biological sex if someone questions her gender.
