Sarah Toce
Lambda Legal, the American Civil Liberties Union, and ACLU-WV issued the following statement in response to the latest attack on transgender youth in the state, the West Virginia Attorney General’s announcement that the state will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review the recent U.S. Court of Appeals ruling allowing Becky Pepper-Jackson to participate in team sports pending her appeal.
“Becky is a 12-year-old girl who has tried out and been accepted as a member of the girls track team, with no issue from her teammates. She has been receiving puberty-delaying medication and gender-affirming hormones. It is unconscionable that the West Virginia Attorney General wants to prevent Becky from participating in sports with her peers.
Nearly 200 collegiate and professional women athletes – including Billie Jean King, Megan Rapinoe, and Candace Parker – joined in amicus briefs supporting trans youth participation in sports.
“West Virginia refuses to address the facts of Becky’s case and instead talks about elite athletic competitions that have nothing to do with the facts here. The AG and his allies have cherry-picked unique incidents and ignored the overwhelming evidence that allowing transgender youth to participate in team sports has benefits for all.
“We will vigorously defend Becky’s right to participate in team sports, and would urge state legislators countrywide to just let the kids play.”
The case was brought by Lambda Legal, the American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU-WV, and the Cooley law firm. The order and other related filings can be found here.
