WASHINGTON (7News) — On Tuesday, U.S. Supreme Court Justices listened to oral arguments on whether it’s constitutional for states to ban biological males, who identify as women, from competing on women’s sports teams.
This is a landmark case that could have ripple effects across the country.
We saw two large crowds outside the Supreme Court during oral arguments.
On one side, you had a large crowd urging the Supreme Court to allow states to ban males from competing in women’s sports. Right next to them, another large crowd advocated for the opposite.
Protesters gather outside the Supreme Court as it hears arguments over state laws barring transgender girls and women from playing on school athletic teams, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in Washington.
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On Tuesday, 7News Reporter Nick Minock spoke with supporters of transgender athletes and with female athletes who don’t think it’s safe or fair for biological males to compete against women and girls.
“I was a Nordic skier, and I had to compete against a male, and I don’t think that’s right,” one female athlete told 7News. “And I don’t think that’s OK. And so I am here today to protect women’s sports and the integrity of women’s sports.”
“Do you think it was fair and do you think it was safe to compete against a biological male?” 7News asked the athlete.
“Absolutely not. That’s an easy question,” she responded. “It should have never happened. It puts women at risk to be hurt. It takes women out of their spaces. And that’s not fair. And that’s not right. So it should have never happened in the first place.”
Another group of women showed up to support transgender students.
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“One of my best friends my whole life has been trans, and I’ve always supported them,” she said. “And just see them for who they really are. So, yeah, I mean, in a way, it is a personal issue. And I just want to support everyone.”
“I’m here to support trans youth and just be here,” another woman told 7News. “The energy is so strong and vibrant. There’s happy music. And everyone is brought together by love and joy and protecting people who just… they really just want to play sports. All children should be able to play sports.”
7News spoke with a Fairfax County mother and father whose daughter identifies as transgender.
“So our daughter is trans,” the mother told 7News. “She gave us permission to be here and to highlight her story. She is 19 now, so she’s graduated from high school. But when she was a senior, she wanted to participate in track. And she, because of the executive order, she wasn’t allowed to participate with the girls. So she participated on the boys’ track team.”
“What brought us here is an opportunity for us to tell a story, a real story about real people who are being marginalized or discriminated against for irrational reasons,” the father of that transgender student told 7News.
7News spoke with two other female athletes who believe women’s sports should be protected.
“I raced against two biological males for four years of high school in track and field,” a woman told 7News. “And it was extremely unfair (for) myself and for my other females. I ended up losing four state championships (to) two biological males, and it’s really devastating to line up against them again and again. Just knowing that they had this enormous, enormous physical advantage over myself and other girls.”
“I played college volleyball, and during my recruiting process, in front of all of these college scouts, had to compete against a man,” another woman told 7News. “This was absolutely unfair and robbed me of an opportunity to play collegiately before I even got to put the jersey on. Now, by the grace of God, I did get to play college volleyball because I had another opportunity to play in front of college scouts, and used every minute while I was in the NCAA to change these rules from the inside out. But they wouldn’t have it. These systems are built against women.”
U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, and Republican governors and attorneys general spoke to people who support banning biological males from competing in women’s sports.
And right next to them, LGBTQ activists spoke to people who believe transgender students should be allowed to compete in sports based on gender identity.
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