Concord, N.H. (AP) – The administration of President Donald Trump seeks to withdraw from a lawsuit where two teenagers from New Hampshire are challenging the state ban on transgender athletes participating in women’s sports, which relates to a presidential order on the same topic.
Parker Tirell, 16, and Irister Mel, 14, have become central figures in this case, marking the first instance where Trump’s challenge to “exclude men from women’s sports” was added to the ongoing legal discourse around the New Hampshire ban in February. As the case unfolded, a federal judge allowed them the possibility of participating with the women’s sports team.
In a motion submitted on Friday, government lawyers claimed that the teenagers are “attempting to keep the federal government involved not due to imminent injuries, but rather because of a general complaint regarding policy set forth by the U.S. president.”
Assistant Deputy Attorney General Richard Lawson contended that the government has yet to act on New Hampshire’s executive orders and will likely refrain from doing so in the future.
“The plaintiffs may not have standing because they lack constitutional status, and the speculative risk of their future injuries isn’t imminent,” Lawson stated.
Trump’s executive order grants federal agencies significant discretion to ensure adherence to Title IX, which prohibits sexual discrimination in schools. Under the Trump administration, this is interpreted to mean recognizing gender as that assigned at birth.
The teens’ attorneys argue that the presidential order from January 20th prohibits the federal government from promoting gender ideology, potentially harming teenagers and all transgender girls, in violation of federal equal protection rights under Title IX.
In its defense, the government maintains that the order does not discriminate based on gender, as men and women are not equally situated in sports.
Transgender individuals represent a very small portion of the youth population, approximately 1.4% of teenagers aged 13 to 17, roughly 300,000. Nonetheless, about half of the states have enacted similar measures to the New Hampshire sports ban, with supporters arguing that allowing trans girls to compete is unfair and unsafe.
In an interview earlier this year, New Hampshire teens expressed that they felt they could not compete effectively against other players. Tyrell noted her lack of muscle compared to the other girls on the soccer team, while Turmell stated she does not identify as a strong athlete.
“In response to the argument of unfairness, I just want to say I didn’t make the softball team,” Turmel reflected on her tryout last year. “If that’s not fair, I don’t know what else you want from me.”
Source: apnews.com