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BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Lawmakers from Massachusetts are criticizing the Supreme Court's decision to uphold states' bans on transgender girls and women in school sports and vow to continue fighting for the transgender community.
“Today’s ruling is inhumane and unjust,” said Sen. Ed Markey in a statement. “The Supreme Court has become Trump and MAGA Republicans’ tool to persecute and dehumanize the trans community. Kids deserve so much more than to be debated on cable news and in the courts by hateful politicians scapegoating them as talking points or using them to deflect from current failed economic policies.”
The Supreme Court, in a 6-3 decision, said laws in Idaho and West Virginia that ban transgender girls and women playing on school teams do not violate the Constitution.
Attorney General Andrea Campbell also weighed in, saying in a statement, "This decision further marginalizes transgender students by allowing states to deny them the ability to participate in school athletics as their authentic selves. Allowing blanket policies that exclude transgender students from school sports does not ensure fairness or create inclusive school environments; it instead marginalizes and harms vulnerable students."
Campbell said Massachusetts law protects transgender students and athletes.
"Transgender people in Massachusetts will continue to receive the full protections of anti-discrimination law here in Massachusetts," said Gov. Maura Healey. "In terms of how this plays out in sports, again, I have to look at the decision, but also that's something for the [Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association] because I think the decision also left it to state agency and authorities to sort through that."
"Releasing this decision on the last day of Pride is a deliberate act of cruelty toward transgender Americans. Today, SCOTUS helped codify sweeping overreach into law," said Rep. Seth Moulton in a statement. "Trump didn’t spotlight this issue because he wants solutions; he’s on a crusade to erase trans kids from public life and keep Americans divided. These blanket bans go way too far, targeting recreational athletes who just want to play with their friends, invading their privacy, and letting the government micromanage local schools."
Moulton's statement comes after he supported a ban on transgender athletes in girls' and women's sports in 2024.