Today, the Supreme Court continued to feed the flames of right-wing Christian bigotry when it announced that states may exclude trans student athletes from participating in school sports according to their gender. According to the Court, states do not violate the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment when they ban trans student athletes from participating in school sports as themselves.
Following the decision, American Atheists president Nick Fish stated:
“Today’s decision is not just about sports. This Court does not care about women’s sports. This is yet another step in religious extremists’ efforts to foment a moral panic, aimed at pushing LGBTQ+ Americans out of public life — or indeed, out of existence. It’s deeply disheartening to see a majority of the Supreme Court falling for the junk ‘science’ and fabrications of a movement hell-bent on enforcing so-called ‘traditional’ gender roles and norms.”
American Atheists legal director Geoffrey T. Blackwell added:
“Today’s decision will be felt in the day-to-day lives of trans children around the country who only want to play as themselves alongside their friends. Sadly, it seems that, at least when it comes to sports, the Supreme Court does not yet see them as full and equal Americans. I have no doubt that Christian Nationalists will capitalize on this decision to further demonize and ostracize trans Americans.”
In the latest edition of the State of the Secular States report, American Atheists called attention to the escalating attacks on trans Americans in states across the country and at the federal level.
This year, our Policy Team monitored and testified against a record number of anti-LGBTQ+ legislative proposals across the country, including bills that would strip legal recognition from transgender people and would force teachers and school professionals to “out” students, even when there is potential for abuse.
Around the country, the trans community is among the groups most impacted by religiously-motivated stigma, anti-scientific misinformation, and unceasing attacks from the White Christian Nationalist movement. Anti-trans legislation has been directly correlated with a statistically significant increase in suicide attempts as compared to states where such laws have not been enacted.
