The battle over biological males competing in women's sports is finally heading to the nation's highest court.
Democrats thought they had this fight won.
But the Supreme Court just got handed one nasty surprise that has Democrats scrambling.
Supreme Court transgender athletes case divides 350+ lawmakers and sports figures
The Supreme Court is set to rule on two blockbuster cases that could determine the future of women's sports in America — and more than 350 athletes, coaches, lawmakers, and officials have publicly declared which side they're on.
Lawyers from both sides submitted 77 friend-of-the-court briefs before next week's oral arguments.
The lineups read like a who's who of American sports and politics.
On the "save women's sports" side stands tennis legend Martina Navratilova alongside Olympic gold medalists, NCAA champions, and conservative lawmakers from across the country.
They're squaring off against USWNT star Megan Rapinoe, WNBA champions, and a massive contingent of Democrat politicians led by Nancy Pelosi and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
In 2020, Idaho became the first state to ban biological males from women's sports teams in schools and colleges.
West Virginia followed a year later.
Trans athlete plaintiffs — represented by the ACLU — successfully challenged those laws in lower courts.
Now the justices will examine whether Title IX, the landmark federal law forbidding sex discrimination in education, applies to these cases.
Nearly 30 states have similar laws on the books protecting women's sports.
Democrats defend biological males in women's sports under Title IX
The list of Democrats backing the trans athlete plaintiffs is staggering.
Nine Democrat Senators signed on, including Elizabeth Warren, Tammy Baldwin, and Adam Schiff.
Over 140 House Democrats joined them — Nancy Pelosi, AOC, Ilhan Omar, Hakeem Jeffries, Maxine Waters, and Jasmine Crockett among them.
These are the same politicians who claim to champion women's rights.
But when push came to shove, they sided with biological males competing against teenage girls.
New York Attorney General Letitia James and Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez are leading the charge at the state level for the trans athletes.
On the flip side, Republican lawmakers and state attorneys general lined up to defend common sense.
Fourteen GOP Senators and 47 House Republicans filed briefs supporting Idaho and West Virginia's laws.
Attorney General Pam Bondi is leading the federal government's defense of women's sports alongside Solicitor General John Sauer.
Attorneys general from 20 states joined the fight to protect female athletes.
The contrast couldn't be clearer — Republicans defending women, Democrats defending men who claim to be women.
Riley Gaines is among the prominent voices supporting the state laws.
The former NCAA swimmer tied trans athlete Lia Thomas for fifth place at the NCAA Championships.
Gaines watched Thomas — a biological male who competed on the men's team for three years — dominate women's swimming.
She saw firsthand the physical advantages biological males have over female athletes.
She's been touring the country ever since, warning Americans about what's at stake if the Supreme Court gets this wrong.
West Virginia transgender athlete accused of locker room sexual harassment
The timing couldn't be worse for Democrats and the ACLU.
Two West Virginia female students came forward with explosive allegations against one of the trans athlete plaintiffs just days before oral arguments.
Bridgeport High School student Adaleia Cross alleges the trans athlete made graphic sexual threats to her and other girls in the locker room when they were teammates at Bridgeport Middle School.
Cross was in eighth grade, the trans athlete in seventh.
The alleged harassment was so disturbing that Cross quit the track team as a sophomore to avoid sharing a locker room with the trans athlete again once that athlete reached high school.
Cross' mother Abby told Fox News Digital the specific threats were "extremely graphic and vulgar."
Another former teammate, Emmy Salerno from Lincoln Middle School, alleges the trans athlete used "intimidation tactics" after Salerno refused to compete against the biological male during a 2024 spring season event.
Salerno described an immediate personality change after she stepped out of the race.
"He didn't want to talk to me," Salerno said. "He just wanted to stare at me, and just stare down."
The trans athlete allegedly followed Salerno at a local basketball game, making intimidating stares.
"I kind of felt like, 'Is he going to try to fight me?'" Salerno recalled. "'Is he going to try and sneak up behind me and punch me?'"
The ACLU claims the school district investigated Cross' allegations and found them "unsubstantiated."
But Cross swore under oath and under penalty of perjury about what happened.
Alliance Defending Freedom, which represents the Cross family and the state of West Virginia in the Supreme Court case, isn't backing down.
These girls sacrificed their athletic careers because Democrats and the ACLU prioritized trans activism over their safety.
Now the whole country is about to find out what happens when you force teenage girls to share locker rooms with biological males.
The Supreme Court is expected to issue its final ruling by late June — and whichever way the justices decide, this case will reshape American sports for a generation.
Sources:
- Jackson Thompson, "The athletes, coaches, lawmakers and officials who have picked a side in the SCOTUS women's sports battle," Fox News, January 12, 2026.
- Alliance Defending Freedom, Statement on West Virginia Supreme Court case, Fox News Digital, January 2026.
- American Civil Liberties Union, Statement on allegations, Fox News Digital, January 2026.
