Daijiworld Media Network - Washington
Washington, Jan 13: The future of a 15-year-old transgender student-athlete from West Virginia, Becky Pepper-Jackson, now rests with the US Supreme Court, which is scheduled to hear arguments on Tuesday on whether she should be allowed to continue competing in girls’ sports despite a state-level ban.
Pepper-Jackson, a shot-put athlete, is the only openly transgender student-athlete in West Virginia, according to her legal team. Ahead of every throw, she follows a quiet ritual—tapping her left foot on a board at the edge of the circle—to steady herself amid the intense pressure of competition. That pressure, she says, has been heightened by spectators wearing slogan-bearing T-shirts opposing transgender participation in women’s sports, which she believes are directed at her.
“I’m really nervous, obviously. Hopeful — but still nervous,” Pepper-Jackson said in an interview as the case heads to the nation’s highest court.
At the heart of the dispute is a West Virginia law that bans transgender women and girls from participating in female sports teams. Pepper-Jackson’s lawyers argue that the law discriminates against her on the basis of gender identity and violates constitutional guarantees of equal protection.
The state government, however, maintains that the ban is necessary to ensure fairness in women’s sports. It argues that transgender women retain inherent physical advantages because they were designated male at birth, contending that biological males are, on average, bigger, stronger and faster than biological females, regardless of age.
The case comes amid a series of recent Supreme Court decisions seen as setbacks for transgender rights advocates. While the court ruled in 2020 that transgender workers are protected under federal anti-discrimination laws, it has since upheld a Tennessee law banning gender-transition-related medical care for minors and allowed parents to opt children out of school lessons featuring LGBTQ-themed content.
Public opinion on the issue remains divided. Surveys indicate that around two-thirds of Americans support bans on transgender women competing in women’s sports, while scientific debate continues over whether transgender female athletes possess lasting physical advantages.
There is no comprehensive national data on transgender athletes, but estimates suggest that more than 300,000 transgender youths aged 13 to 17 live in the United States. Advocacy groups report that a notable share of transgender boys and girls participate in organised sports.
Pepper-Jackson, who was designated male at birth, has been diagnosed with gender dysphoria. Her mother, Heather Jackson, has stated that signs of her daughter’s gender identity were evident from an early age, noting differences between her and her older sons.
“I knew this was not a ‘phase’ for her, and that there was something different happening,” Heather Jackson said in a sworn declaration.
The Supreme Court’s ruling is expected to have far-reaching implications for transgender student-athletes and the future of similar state laws across the United States.