Two transgender teenage girls and their families have filed a lawsuit against New Hampshire education officials over a new law that will prevent some trans students from competing in school sports teams that align with their gender identities. The law, House Bill 1205, requires students in grades 5-12 to participate in sports teams that match the gender on their birth certificates.
The families argue that this law violates Title IX federal civil rights rules, which prohibit sex discrimination in federally funded education programs. The New Hampshire Department of Education declined to comment on the pending litigation, and the state attorney general’s office is reviewing the complaint.
The plaintiffs, Parker Tirrell and Iris Turmelle, are both high school students who are being affected by this law. Tirrell has been barred from playing on the girls’ soccer team, while Turmelle intends to try out for the girls’ tennis and track and field teams. Since Idaho enacted a similar law in 2020, a total of 25 states have passed laws restricting trans students’ participation in sports.
Critics of these laws argue that they are discriminatory and deny trans students the benefits of school sports. The families are being represented by GLAD, the ACLU of New Hampshire, and law firm Goodwin Procter. Despite the Biden administration expanding Title IX protections for LGBTQ students, fights over trans athlete participation continue, with many GOP-led states challenging the new rules. Governor Chris Sununu has signed two bills affecting the state’s trans community, with one law restricting trans minors from receiving gender-affirming surgery. Sununu vetoed a bill limiting transgender restroom access.
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