A New Hampshire girls’ soccer team has made headlines for boycotting a game against a team with a transgender player, highlighting the ongoing national debate over transgender athletes in women’s sports. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump has prioritized this contentious issue in his campaign, drawing a clear line in the sand for voters.
Catholic School Team Boycotts Game in Protest
Bishop Brady High School in Concord, New Hampshire, decided not to compete against Kearsarge Regional High School’s girls’ soccer team this past Friday. The reason? Kearsarge has a transgender player on its roster—one of only two such athletes competing in girls’ high school sports in the state. Despite a state law prohibiting biological males from competing in girls’ sports, a federal judge’s ruling has allowed Maelle Jacques to continue playing.
Standing nearly six feet tall, Jacques was permitted to take the field due to a federal injunction issued in September, which overruled the state law. This ruling by Judge Landya McCafferty, appointed by former President Barack Obama, has stirred emotions on both sides of the debate, especially among families and school officials.
State Law vs. Federal Ruling: A Clash of Ideologies
Governor Chris Sununu signed House Bill 1205, dubbed the “Fairness in Women’s Sports Act,” into law in July, explicitly barring trans girls from participating in female athletic events. Yet Jacques and another transgender athlete, Parker Tirrell from Plymouth Regional High School, challenged the law in court—and they won. The court’s preliminary injunction allows them to continue competing until a final ruling is made.
The federal ruling has sparked uproar among certain New Hampshire families, who argue that it undercuts the competitive integrity of girls’ sports. Some families have even taken their protest to the legal arena, filing lawsuits against school districts they accuse of suppressing their right to voice their disagreement with transgender athletes’ participation.
In late August, the Kearsarge Regional school board voted 6-1 in favor of allowing Jacques and other transgender girls to continue playing, demonstrating the depth of division on this issue.
A National Flashpoint for Politicians
The ongoing legal and cultural battle has quickly become a significant talking point in the lead-up to the 2024 presidential election. Former President Trump and his wife Melania, who has at times disagreed with the Republican stance on LGBTQ+ issues, have openly opposed allowing biological males to participate in women’s sports. Trump went as far as advocating for a complete ban.
Meanwhile, Democrats such as Judge McCafferty, supported by the Biden-Harris administration, have taken a starkly different approach, emphasizing inclusivity for transgender athletes. In April, the administration issued a sweeping new rule to Title IX, clarifying that the law’s protections against sex discrimination also extend to gender identity. The rule sparked a backlash from Republicans, who fear it could pave the way for biological males to flood female sports teams.
State-Level Resistance Continues
The Biden administration’s attempts to push for transgender inclusion have faced numerous setbacks, including a 5-4 vote by the Supreme Court in August, which rejected an emergency request to enforce portions of the new Title IX rule. Idaho Governor Brad Little has also moved to counteract the administration’s influence, issuing an executive order aimed at preventing biological males from participating in female sports.
In a candid conversation, Governor Little refused to rule out the possibility of Idaho losing federal funding if Kamala Harris becomes the next president.
“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” Governor Little stated confidently.
“I’m confident in what we have, and we will aggressively (act), as the state of Idaho, both legally and legislatively, to protect women’s athletes.”
Broader Implications for Women’s Sports
The debate isn’t confined to New Hampshire and Idaho. In Nevada, a state law protecting gender identity has created tension among volleyball players who face off against teams with transgender athletes. Nevada’s women’s volleyball players have expressed a desire to forfeit an upcoming game against San Jose State, which has a transgender player—a move that conflicts with state mandates.
As of now, 23 states have implemented laws prohibiting transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports. However, as the recent events in New Hampshire have shown, even states that pass such laws aren’t immune to federal pushback, leaving the future of women’s sports uncertain in an increasingly polarized America.
