The Biden administration has withdrawn from a Connecticut lawsuit aimed at banning transgender athletes from participating in girls’ high school sports.
A group of three runners sued civil servants and local education officials after losing state titles to transgender athletes in 2018. Proponents of the lawsuit argue that male-born athletes have a natural and unfair advantage over female-born participants.
Supporters of the transgender athletes in the case argue that as soon as hormone therapies take effect, the male genetic benefit disappears – although these effects are not immediate, and many teenagers only start taking such drugs after puberty.
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“Gender identity does not matter, it’s the testosterone levels,” Joanna Harper, a medical physicist who is also a transgender runner, told the Associated Press in 2019. “Transgender girls should have the right to participate in sports. “But cisgender girls should also have the right to compete and succeed. How do you balance that? That’s the question.”
The Justice Department became involved in the case under former President Donald Trump, with former Attorney General Bill Barr submitting a statement of interest in March 2020.
“The government has reconsidered the matter and hereby informs the court that it is withdrawing its Statement of Interest,” the DOJ said according to court documents filed Tuesday.
The Justice Department’s decision to withdraw the case comes before a hearing on Friday on the motion to dismiss the case.
Connecticut is one of 17 states that allow transgender high school athletes to participate in sports without regulations. Some states place restrictions on transgender competitors, and others handle matters on an individual basis.
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A current bill in Utah that will remove the state from the list is facing uncertainty after Republican Gov. Spencer Cox called for a “better” solution last week and asked the bill’s GOP sponsor to discuss and discuss differences.
Fox News’ Jake Gibson contributed to this report.