美最高法院裁定支持跨性别运动员参赛禁令

, PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA SCHOOL OF LAW. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. GEOFF: WE WANT TO DIG DEEPER INTO ANOTHER MAJOR CASE THE COURT DECIDED TODAY, UPHOLDING STATE BANS ON TRANSGENDER ATHLETES COMPETING IN GIRLS AND WOMEN'S SPORTS. WE ARE JOINED BY KATIE BARNES, WHO COVERS SPORTS AND GENDER FOR ESPN. ALSO THE AUTHOR OF FAIRPLAY: TRANS ATHLETES AND THE FIGHT FOR FAIRNESS. OF US UNDERSTAND HOW WIDE OF AN IMPACT THIS RULING WILL HAVE.

EXACTLY WHO IT WILL AFFECT?

THE IMPORTANT THING IS IT IS NOT A NATIONWIDE RULING. THE SCOPE OF THE RULING IS LIMITED TO THE 27 STATES WHO HAVE THIS LEGISLATION IN PLACE, SPECIFICALLY THE CASES IN IDAHO AND WEST VIRGINIA. THE COURT HELD THOSE LAWS ARE ALLOWED TO STAND. THAT MEANS OTHER STATES WITH SIMILAR LEGISLATION WILL BE ABLE TO KEEP THEIR LAWS ON THE BOOKS. IT DOES NOT GO A STEP FURTHER BY SAYING NOT ONLY DO THESE LAWS VIOLATE TITLE IX, BUT HAVING TRANSGENDER INCLUSIVE POLICY IS A VIOLATION OF TITLE IX.

FOR THE REMAINING STATES THAT DON'T HAVE SUCH LAWS, THEY ARE ABLE TO DECIDE THAT FOR THEMSELVES AND KEEP THE PERSPECTIVE THEY HAVE HAD IN PLACE. GEOFF: WHAT DOES THIS RULING MEAN FOR THE PLAINTIFFS PERSONALLY? A 1515EAR-OLD AND WEST VIRGINIA, THE OTHER A FORMER BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY STUDENT IN IDAHO.

FOR THE 15-YEAR-OLD IN WEST VIRGINIA, HER CAREER IS EFFECTIVELY OVER IN GIRLS SPORTS. SHE IS ABLE TO COMPETE IN THE MEN'S CATEGORY, THE BOYS CATEGORY, BUT SHE HAS SAID SHE DOES NOT WANT TO DO THAT. IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE TO FINISH OUT HER HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS CAREER IN GIRLS SPORTS, THIS RULING EFFECTIVELY ENDS THAT POSSIBILITY FOR HER. THE OTHER PLAINTIFF IN IDAHO, SHE HAD PETITIONED THE COURT TO REMOVE HERSELF FROM THE CASE BY SAYING SHE DID NOT WANT TO PURSUE ANY ADDITIONAL ATHLETIC OPPORTUNITIES AT BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY AND JUST WANTED TO FINISH OUT HER ACADEMIC CAREER THERE, GET HER DEGREE, AND MOVE ON WITH HER LIFE.

IT IS WORTH SPEAKING TO THE FACT THAT THAT PARTICULAR PLAINTIFF SPOKE TO THE BREADTH OF SPORTS WERE GOVERNED BY THESE LAWS. SHE ORIGINALLY FILED HER CHALLENGE ON THE BASIS OF WANTING TO TRY OUT FOR THE WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY TEAM AT BOISE STATE. AND THEN CONTINUED HER CHALLENGE ON THE BASIS OF WANTING TO PLAY CLUB SPORTS AT BOISE STATE. SO IT'S NOT JUST COMPETITIVE, INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETICS THAT ARE AFFECTED BY THE LEGISLATION, IT'S ALSO CLUB SPORTS AS WELL AS INTRAMURAL SPORTS, COLLEGIATE AS WELL AS THE SCHOOL SPORTS LEVELS.

GEOFF: THESE STATES AND ADVOCACY GROUPS THAT DEFENDED THESE BANDS, HOW ARE THEY INTERPRETING TODAY'S ORDER FROM THE COURT?

THOSE WHO ARE IN FAVOR OF THIS LEGISLATION, THEY ARE QUITE HAPPY. IT'S BEEN A LOT OF CELEBRATORY MESSAGES. I HEARD FROM THE PERSON WHO WROTE HB 500 OUT OF IDAHO. SHE CALLED IT A SIGNIFICANT VICTORY. FOR FOLKS WHO WANT TO SEE TRANSGENDER GIRLS NOT BE ABLE TO PLAY GIRLS SPORTS, THEY ARE FEELING VERY GOOD ABOUT THIS RULING TODAY. GEOFF: JUSTICE BRETT KAVANAUGH, WHO ONCE COACHED GIRLS BASKETBALL, UNDERLINED THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ATHLETES' D