SCOTUStoday for Wednesday, January 14
SCOTUSblog1 day
Supreme Court Hears Trans Athlete Sports Ban Cases
Do trans athletes in women's sports pose safety risks, or are bans harming vulnerable youth?
Above: The U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 13, 2026. Image credit: Kent Nishimura/Bloomberg/Getty Images
The Spin
Right narrative
Allowing biological males to compete in women's sports creates serious safety risks that can't be ignored. Males bring more energy into collisions, while females already face 150% to 300% higher risk of knee injuries and more severe concussions from the same impacts. Athletic competition is about bodies and biology, not identities, and every spot given to a male athlete directly takes away opportunities from female competitors.
Left narrative
Banning transgender girls from school sports is discrimination that isolates vulnerable youth and denies them the documented benefits of teamwork, confidence and community that all students deserve. States with anti-transgender laws saw major increases in suicide attempts among trans youth. These bans aren't about fairness or safety; they're about pushing transgender people out of public life entirely based on stereotypes and political gain.
Metaculus Prediction
Public Figures
Go Deeper
Political split
LEFT
RIGHT
© 2026 Improve the News Foundation. All rights reserved.Version 6.18.0
© 2026 Improve the News Foundation.
All rights reserved.
Version 6.18.0