Equality Arlington Signs Joint Letter Urging Virginia Leaders to Allow Transgender and Nonbinary Students to Participate in Sports
Virginia Department of Education
Virginia Office of the Attorney General
Virginia General Assembly (Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax County, Falls Church, Prince William County Loudoun County) Delegations
Virginia School Boards
Virginia High School League
On June 30, the Supreme Court of the United States released a consolidated opinion in two cases concerning the rights of transgender athletes to participate in school sports. The Court narrowly upheld discriminatory laws in Idaho and West Virginia that prohibit students from participating on school sports teams that align with their gender identity. The decision is a troubling and fundamentally misguided interpretation of Title IX that is at odds with Supreme Court precedent and basic principles of fairness and equal protection. However, the decision also represents a call to action to state legislatures, state attorneys general, and state athletic governing boards to reject the stigma, discrimination, and assault on dignity inherent in transgender sports bans. Our organizations call on our Virginia elected officials, school leadership, and sports associations to stand up for the values of Virginia and against federal overreach, bullying, and discrimination targeted at transgender kids.
The ability to participate in school-sponsored sports is fundamental to students’ ability to receive an equitable public education in Virginia. School-sponsored sports provide real benefits to student athletes. In addition to the more obvious physical benefits, team sports allow youth to work closely with other team members, build solid relationships, develop perseverance, and cement friendships. Team members form strong bonds that carry participants through other challenges they face in school and in life. Transgender students deserve to access the same benefits as their peers from participating in school sports, and their exclusion is a violation of their civil rights.
Already, the Virginia Human Rights Act (VHRA) provides protections for all Virginians against discrimination based on gender identity. Singling out transgender girls to prohibit them from playing on the sports teams that align with their gender identity blatantly violates the spirit and letter of the VHRA. However, even before the Supreme Court decision this week, athletes in Virginia have been subject to a discriminatory policy put in place by the Virginia High School League (VHSL), a private entity that acts as the sanctioning body for interscholastic sports among public high schools in Virginia. Other sports in Virginia–including the Virginia Scholastic Rowing Association–voluntarily follow the VHSL rules and regulations. In 2025, in violation of the VHRA, VHSL voted to enshrine a discriminatory prohibition on the ability of transgender girls to play on sports teams that align with their gender identity. VHSL has the opportunity to reverse this decision at its next meeting in September 2026, and we call on elected officials in Virginia to urge VHSL to update its policy to bring it into compliance with the VHRA.
Finally, we urge state leaders to defend Virginia public schools from cruel and aggressive actions from the U.S. Department of Education to eliminate the transgender non-discrimination policies of five Northern Virginia school districts (Alexandria City, Arlington County, Fairfax County, Loudoun County, and Prince William County). The Supreme Court decision is likely to accelerate these attacks. These non-discrimination policies ensure that students can use the appropriate bathroom and locker room, will have their pronouns and names respected, and will be protected from bullying. Northern Virginia families articulated the harm our kids would experience if these policies were rescinded in an amicus brief in support of the lawsuit Arlington Public Schools and Fairfax County Public Schools filed against the Department of Education to preserve their non-discrimination policies from federal overreach.
For all these reasons, we ask that:
State leaders publicly announce their support for allowing transgender girls to participate in and compete on girls’ sports teams.
State leaders, in collaboration with school districts and parent and student communities, call on VHSL to reverse their discriminatory policy.
School districts immediately cease compliance with the VHSL transgender athlete ban, as it is violative of state law.
Schools prohibit bullying or harassment of student athletes, particularly based on their gender identity or expression, and work to foster inclusive sports communities.
The Attorney General should prepare for affirmative litigation in the event that the school districts' suit against the U.S. Department of Education is dismissed in the Fourth Circuit. Our school districts are standing up for their values of inclusion and non-discrimination, but they need the unwavering and vocal support of our elected Virginia leaders, including the Attorney General’s office. The Attorney General should also prepare affirmative litigation to compel VHSL to align its policy with the VHRA.
The Virginia Department of Education must immediately revise the model policy on transgender and non-binary students, replacing the current discriminatory and harmful policy.
VHSL should repeal and replace its transgender athlete exclusion policy.
Thank you and please don’t hesitate to reach out if we can be of assistance. We can be reached at agia4students@gmail.com.
Arlington Gender Identity Alliance (Arlington County)
Alexandrians Committed to Equality (Alexandria City)
Defenders of Public Education (Prince William County)
Equality Arlington (Arlington County)
Equality Falls Church (Falls Church City)
Equality Loudoun (Loudoun County)
Equality Prince William (Prince William County)
He She Ze and We
FCPS Pride (Fairfax County)
Falls Church City Schools Pride Alliance (Falls Church City)
Indivisible NOVA West
Loudoun 4 All (Loudoun County)
Metropolitan Community Church of Northern Virginia
NOVA Community Action Team
PWC Women Who Wine (Prince William County)
Transgender Education Association
Virginia Queer Collective
Woodbridge United (Woodbridge)
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