Common sense is on the line at the Supreme Court, a group of female athletes and Republican officials warned Monday.
The Republican Attorneys General Conference and prominent female athletes like Riley Gaines held a press conference on Monday ahead of oral arguments in two cases that revolve around the rights of states to pass laws that keep men off of women’s sports teams. They said that the case will have far-reaching consequences for women’s privacy and safety.
“The reason that we are here is because Idaho and West Virginia passed common sense laws that delineate the athletic playing fields in our states between the sexes,” said West Virginia Attorney General John McCuskey. “West Virginia’s law makes sure that every single woman and girl in West Virginia has a safe and fair playing field in order for them to earn and learn all of the amazing skills that come from competitive team athletics.”
The justices will hear two different sets of oral arguments on Tuesday, in the cases of West Virginia v. B.P.J. and Little v. Hecox. The result of the cases will determine whether 27 states can keep laws in place that prevent men from entering women’s sports, and could impact laws protecting women’s privacy in bathrooms and other spaces.
“Women’s rights are under attack by the radical Left. As Republican Attorneys General, we are committed to doing everything we can to protect them. Women and girls should feel safe in the locker rooms and have the opportunity to participate in fair competitions,” said Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen.
Gaines, the University of Kentucky swimmer who rose to national prominence for speaking out after being forced to compete against male University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas, said she was “pissed” off that the country had reached the point where it was even a debate whether women can have their own sports teams.
“I’m pissed off that we’ve reached a point where we seemingly have an entire political party who has diminished and erased our rights as women. That’s exactly what this is. Don’t let them frame it any other way,” Gaines said.
As Gaines noted, the case will not determine whether states must keep sports teams separate by sex, but whether states are allowed to do so.
“We are fighting for the bare minimum here,” she said. “Can we allow ourselves to be vulnerable in an intimate area of undressing such as a locker room without having to fear a man walking into that space? Can we do those things?”
Oral arguments in the case will start at 10 a.m. and are expected to last several hours.
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