Transgender adolescents initiate legal action against New Hampshire authorities due to a recently implemented statute restricting their participation in female-designated sports teams.
The legal action, submitted in the U.S. District Court in Concord, seeks permission for Parker Tirrell, 15, to join the girls' soccer team and Iris Turmelle, 14, to participate in tryouts for the girls' tennis and track and field teams at their schools.
The upcoming Bill 1205, set to take effect next Monday, would prohibit both girls from participating in any girls' sports teams at their institutions, as suggested by court documents. New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu signed the bill into law last month, stating in a release that it "promotes fairness and safety in female sports by preserving integrity and balance in athletic competitions."
GLAD, the ACLU of New Hampshire, and Goodwin Procter, advocacy groups representing the girls and their families, argue that the state law denies Tirrell and Turmelle equal educational opportunities and discriminates against them due to their transgender identity, violating federal law and the constitutional right to equal protection.
GLAD claimed in a statement that the law obstructs the girls from gaining numerous educational, social, and physical and mental health benefits associated with participating in sports, while segregating them from friends and teammates and subjecting them to discrimination purely because they are transgender females.
The legal action unfolds against a backdrop of intense debate in the US in recent years concerning bans targeting transgender athletes. Last month, a South Florida school district imposed a 10-day suspension on an employee suspected of allowing her transgender daughter to play on the girls' high school volleyball team in 2022 and 2023, contravening state law. In April, a federal appeals court ruled that West Virginia could not enforce its anti-transgender sports ban against a 13-year-old girl, leaving a blow to one of nearly two dozen such laws enacted by GOP-led states in recent years.
Tirrell and Turmelle, according to the lawsuit, have identified as females since early childhood and interacted with others as females in all aspects of their lives. The lawsuit details that they have been recognized as females by their parents, family, schools, peers, teammates, and coaches.
Both girls have been diagnosed with gender dysphoria, a medical condition characterized by emotional distress caused by a discrepancy between one’s birth sex and gender identity, as stated in the lawsuit. They have been administered puberty-blocking medication and hormone therapy to alleviate the strain from physical attributes inconsistent with their gender identity, as per the lawsuit.
Tirrell, a rising tenth-grader at Plymouth Regional High School, participated in the girls' soccer team last year and had excitedly anticipated joining her teammates when the season resumed later this month.
"Playing soccer alongside my teammates is where I feel the most free and happy. We support each other, whether we win or lose," Tirrell declared in a statement. "If I’m barred from playing on the team with the other girls, it will sever ties with several of my friends, and school will become far more challenging for me. I simply want to be myself and learn, play, and support my teammates like I did last year."
Tirrell's mother, Sara, shared her concerns that her daughter's exclusion from the team could adversely impact her emotional well-being.
"Every parent aspires for their child’s health, happiness, and sense of belonging. That’s no different for my spouse and me, as parents of a transgender daughter. I worry about the negative consequences on Parker’s self-esteem and well-being if she is denied the opportunity to join her teammates on the field."
Turmelle, an incoming freshman at Pembroke Academy, looked forward to trying out for the tennis and track and field teams, according to the lawsuit.
"Transitioning to high school is an exciting, novel experience. I played intramural tennis in middle school. I was eager to join the tennis and track teams because it would supply an opportunity to connect with more of my new classmates and accelerate my learning. I'm a transgender girl, and I've identified as such for my whole life, whereas my peers recognize me as a girl. I do not understand why I should be prevented from having the same opportunities as other girls in school."
Turmelle's mother, Amy, expressed her daughter's excitement to participate in high school sports teams, following her experience with bullying in middle school.
"After participating in Girls on the Run, she is also contemplating a new challenge by trying out for the school track and field team. Iris underwent bullying in middle school, and my husband and I aim to ensure her safety, inclusion, and equitable treatment, thereby allowing her to enjoy a positive and joyful high school experience."
New Hampshire ranks amongst 25 states with statewide laws prohibiting transgender students from competing on sports teams that align with their gender identities, according to data from Movement Advancement Project, a nonprofit research organization.
The lawsuit names New Hampshire Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut as defendants, along with other state and local education authorities.
Governor Sununu, the New Hampshire Department of Education, and the New Hampshire Attorney General's Office were not yet available for comment.
In the midst of this legal battle, both Tirrell and Turmelle strongly express their desire to be part of their respective girls' soccer, tennis, and track and field teams in school, as they have identified as females since early childhood and have been recognized as such by their families, schools, and peers.
Disregarding the ongoing legal action and their personal experiences, the state law in New Hampshire, if enforced, could potentially prevent Tirrell and Turmelle from participating in girls' sports teams at their schools, depriving them of numerous educational, social, and health benefits.
