Transgender girl allowed to play football after New Hampshire judge’s ruling
Rebekah Bruesehoff, a transgender student and athlete, speaks at a press conference on LGBTQI+ rights at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, on March 8, 2023. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
A transgender woman from New Hampshire has been given the green light to play football on her high school team after a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order.
U.S. District Court Chief Judge Landya McCafferty on Monday (August 19) granted the order requested by the families of 15-year-old Parker Tirrell and 14-year-old Iris Turmelle.
While Turmelle will not be able to start playing until the end of the year, the decision means Parker will be able to join team training immediately.
The families filed suit last week to overturn the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, signed last month by Republican Gov. Chris Sununu. The law bans trans women and girls from participating on school sports teams in kindergarten through 12th grade and at public universities.
The families argued that this was a violation of their children’s rights under the equal protection principle of the U.S. Constitution and under Title IX, which protects students from sex-based discrimination in school.
The new law “violates protections and federal law by denying youth equal educational opportunities and discriminating against them on the basis of their transsexuality,” they claimed.
McCafferty concluded that Parker “has demonstrated that she is likely to succeed in her case.” The judge questioned how the law could protect biological girls from “unfair competition” since Parker takes puberty blockers to prevent changes in her body.
She also concluded that without the drugs, Parker would suffer irreversible damage, the Daily Mail reported.
Chris Erchull of GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders said, “We are very pleased with the judge’s decision. It is in line with our expectations because we know this law is unfair and violates the rights of transgender girls in New Hampshire.”
The court will decide next week whether the law should be blocked in its entirety in court proceedings.
In Florida, transgender student athletes are prohibited from playing on school sports teams that correspond to their gender identity under a law signed by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis.
Last November, high school students went on strike to protest the law.
In April, an appeals court ruled that a ban on transgender sports in West Virginia discriminated against a teenager.
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