GOP attorneys general, female athletes spotlight women’s sports cases ahead of SCOTUS arguments

A group of Republican attorneys general and female sports advocates gathered Monday in Washington, D.C., to call on the Supreme Court to give states the ability to set sex-based rules for school athletics.

The group, which included former college swimmer turned activist Riley Gaines, said a favorable decision by the high court in a pair of cases examining transgender athletes in school sports would serve to preserve fairness in women’s sports.

The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the two cases, brought by Idaho and West Virginia, on Tuesday.

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Those gathered at the event said the cases could be landmarks in the legal fight over policies surrounding transgender people.

“I’m very optimistic that we will see a favorable ruling here,” Gaines said. “What I do know is public opinion isn’t on their side, the other side, those who support the discrimination of women. Science isn’t on their side.”

The high court could decide to rule narrowly on the rights of transgender athletes or offer a more sweeping precedent over discrimination claims across industries. The decision could have far-reaching impacts on transgender bathroom policies and sex designation on documents, such as passports and driver’s licenses.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.