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More than 200 women lawmakers have signed an amicus brief supporting the legal defense to “save women’s sports” ahead of next week’s Supreme Court oral arguments for two cases related to the issue.
The brief contains the signatures of exactly 207 lawmakers, with Idaho State Rep. Barbara Ehardt serving as the lead friend.
Other prominent names on the list include Maine State Rep. Laurel Libby, who became a central figure in the national debate over women’s sports when she was censured for speaking out against a trans athlete last February, Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth, Iowa State Senate President Amy Sinclair, Missouri State Sen. Cindy O’Laughlin, Alaska State Representative Shelly Hughes, Kansas State Representative Kristy Williams and North Dakota State Senator Janne Myrdal.
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All the signatories are Republicans, as nearly every Democratic lawmaker in the country has remained strongly in favor of allowing biological males to compete in girls’ and women’s sports.
The brief argues that “since the existence of separate women’s sports programs is justified by biological differences between women and men, there are extremely compelling reasons to determine eligibility for such programs using biological criteria rather than a person’s sense of gender.”
Supreme Court justices will hear arguments Tuesday in two cases in West Virginia and Idaho, where trans athlete plaintiffs have already successfully challenged those states’ laws aimed at preventing men from participating in girls’ and women’s sports.
Several amicus briefs have already been filed, some in support of the defendants seeking to “save women’s sports”, and others in favor of the inclusion of trans people.
Super Bowl winning head coach Barry Switzerland and 31 Olympians signed an amicus brief in support of the legal defense to “save women’s sports” ahead of two upcoming Supreme Court trials involving trans athletes. The signatories also include 12 Olympic medalists, including eight gold medalists.
Meanwhile, 130 Democratic members of Congress signed an amicus brief urging the justices to rule in favor of two trans athletes.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffires, D-N.Y. ; Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.; Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.; Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.; Senator Adam Schiff, Democrat of California; Representative Jasmine Crockett, Democrat of Texas; Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn.; Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis.; Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif.; Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif.; Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore.; Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash.; Sen. Mazie Hirono, Democrat of Hawaii, Sen. Edward Markey, Democrat of Mass., and Sen. Jeff Merkely, Democrat of Oregon, are among the lawmakers on the list.
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Two West Virginia students and their families outlined the allegations against one of the trans plaintiffs ahead of oral arguments in the case next week. The trans athlete is represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). PK Press Club Digital is not releasing the name of the trans athlete because the individual is a minor.
Bridgeport High School student Adaleia Cross, who is a former track teammate of the trans athlete when both were at Bridgeport Middle School, alleges that the trans athlete made comments to her that constitute sexual harassment in the girls’ locker room. Cross, who is a year older than the trans athlete, said she quit the Bridgeport High School track team last year as a sophomore to avoid sharing a locker room with the trans athlete again once that athlete reached high school.
Cross’ mother, Abby, told PK Press Club Digital what the trans athlete allegedly said to her daughter when they shared the girls’ locker room during the 2022-23 school year. Adaleia was in eighth grade and the trans athlete was in seventh.
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Abby Cross alleges the trans athlete made extremely graphic and vulgar sexual threats toward her daughter and other girls on the team.
The ACLU responded to the Cross family’s allegations.
“Our client and his mother deny these allegations and the school district has investigated the allegations reported to the school by AC and found them to be unsubstantiated. We remain committed to defending the rights of all students under Title IX, including the right to a safe and inclusive learning environment free from harassment and discrimination,” read a statement from the ACLU provided to PK Press Club Digital.
The Cross family’s attorneys at Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) responded to the ACLU’s statement.
“Our client has been sworn under oath and under penalty of perjury in numerous cases regarding the events that took place between her and the male athlete. Due to the situation, [Cross] had to completely walk away from the sport she loved and sacrifice a key part of her school experience to protect herself,” read a statement from the ADF provided to PK Press Club Digital.
ADF is also representing the state of West Virginia against the trans athlete in the case which is expected to be examined by the Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, former Lincoln Middle School girls’ track and field runner Emmy Salerno alleges the trans athlete used “intimidation tactics” against her after Salerno refused to compete against the trans athlete in a spring 2024 event.
“After we left, there was an immediate personality change. He wouldn’t talk to me. He just wanted to look at me and look at me,” Salerno told PK Press Club Digital.
Salerno said there was an incident in which the trans athlete followed her while they attended a local basketball game, giving her intimidating looks, and Salerno feared the trans athlete would try to “fight” her.
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“At the basketball game, when he was following me around, I was like, ‘Is he going to try to fight me?'” Salerno said. “‘Is he going to try to sneak up behind me and hit me?'”
The ACLU did not respond to PK Press Club Digital’s request to respond to Salerno’s allegations.
