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Utah's state legislature passed the law earlier this year,
arguing that it would help protect athletes and ensure women
were not edged out of their sport.
But Judge Keith Kelly of the Third Judicial District Court in
Salt Lake City ruled that transgender girls did not necessarily
have an automatic advantage over other girls, since
puberty-blocking treatments can prevent them from developing the
physical advantages for sports that boys can have.
With the ban blocked for now, Utah law states that transgender
girls' eligibility to participate in girls' sports will be
decided by a state-created commission on a case-by-case basis.
"The negative impact of the ban on these girls has been
profound, and they are all breathing much easier now that it has
been blocked," said Shannon Minter, legal director of the
National Center for Lesbian Rights, which represents the
plaintiffs. "We are very grateful for the court's decision and
looking forward to putting an end to this law once and for all."
A spokesperson for Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes declined to
comment on the ruling.
Following a series of sporting victories by trans women
athletes, including a collegiate swimmer, some conservatives and
women's sports advocates have called for more restrictive
legislation. Utah's ban was passed over the veto of Governor
Spencer Cox, a Republican, in March, who argued that it applied
to very few students.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated in
2019 that just 1.8% of high school students in the country are
transgender, and the Human Rights Campaign has said that,
according to surveys, only about 12% play on girls' sports
teams.
(Reporting by Brendan Pierson and Tyler Clifford in New York,
Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Rosalba O'Brien)
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