Dear Friends,
Five years ago, Idaho made history by becoming the first state in the country to pass a law protecting women’s sports from biological males. This morning, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear our case, Little v. Hecox, giving us the opportunity to defend that law before the nation’s highest court.
After years of legal battles, we will finally have our day before the justices who will provide clarity on this fundamental issue impacting female athletes across America.
When Idaho passed our law in 2020, we knew we would face legal challenges. The previous attorney general had warned legislators that the law faced uncertain legal ground. But I ran for this office because I thought Idaho needed a more aggressive attorney general who would not back away from the hard fights. We also knew that women and girls deserve an equal playing field where their hard work, dedication, and natural talent can shine. We understood that biological differences between men and women are real, measurable, and significant in athletic competition.
The stakes couldn’t be higher. Across the country, female athletes are being forced to compete against biological males who possess inherent physical advantages. These young women have trained for years, sacrificed countless hours, and dreamed of scholarships and championships—only to watch those opportunities slip away because of policies that ignore basic biology.
The Supreme Court’s decision to hear our case comes after we urged them to take action in a supplemental brief filed last week. We argued that critical constitutional questions remain unresolved, including whether biological sex should be defined objectively or subjectively in equal protection cases. We emphasized that 27 states have now enacted laws protecting women’s sports, and both the NCAA and federal government have announced policies excluding biological males from female competitions.
The current legal confusion is harming everyone. The Ninth Circuit’s ruling places schools in an impossible position, creating conflicting requirements while female athletes continue to face unfair competition. This uncertainty serves no one and must end.
Idaho’s leadership on this issue has helped build a national movement. What began as our lone stand has grown into a coalition of states committed to protecting equal opportunity for women and girls. The momentum is unmistakable, and the time for resolution has arrived.
The Supreme Court now has the opportunity to resolve this nationwide confusion and protect the integrity of women’s sports across America. Idaho’s women and girls deserve an equal playing field, and I am confident the justices will recognize what we have always known: that true equality means preserving spaces where women can compete against other women.
For too long, activists have worked to push women and girls out of their own sports. The Court must allow states to end this injustice and ensure that female athletes can showcase their incredible talent and pursue the equal opportunities they deserve.
I also want to thank Rep. Barbara Ehardt, R-Idaho Falls, for her work sponsoring this legislation and fighting to protect female sports.
