“Trans People are Fighting for Their Lives Right Now”: Advocates Slam Supreme Court Ruling on Transgender Athletes

The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday to uphold that states can ban transgender girls and women from participating in school sports.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh delivered the court’s opinion that said “separate sports teams for biological males and biological females are reasonable given the inherent physical differences between the sexes.”

The SCOTUS ruling follows a series of state and federal rollbacks for transgender protections. At least two dozen states have pushed for legislation restricting healthcare, bathrooms, and sports participation for transgender youth.

LGBTQ+ advocates across the country quickly denounced Tuesday’s ruling.

Charlie Solidum, Director of Programs and Services at the Hudson Valley LGBTQ+ Community Center, said the decision is “another example of the further dehumanization of trans people that’s been sort of at the center of the culture wars right now.”

“[Transgender people] are in a state of emergency when it comes to the way that the U.S. government is attacking trans people, and it’s making cisgender people feel emboldened to continue to oppress trans people,” said Solidum. “It makes me sick.”

In 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 on the United States v. Skrmetti case in favor of a Tennessee law banning gender affirming care for youth. New York has state law protections protecting gender affirming care for youth, but some still worry about the future of their healthcare under the Trump administration.

Solidum said the Hudson Valley LGBTQ+ Community Center in Kingston has received an influx of requests from families navigating evolving gender-affirming care systems.

“All of a sudden, their medical provider is no longer providing services to youth, and so these families are scrambling now to find appropriate medical care for these young people,” said Solidum.

Solidum says he’s focused on supporting trans and gender variant youth, like supporting families with group counseling and resources.

“Trans people have existed since the dawn of time, and there’s no legislation or ruling that will erase us effectively,” said Solidum. “The trans community is vibrant and strong, and we are not going down without a fight.”

Image: Transgender rights supporters rally at the Lutheran Church of the Reformation on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, June 18, 2025, in Washington, after the Supreme Court upheld Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender minors, in a setback to transgender rights. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)