Supreme Court sides with lawmaker censured for opposing gender ideology

The US Supreme Court has ruled in favor of a Maine Republican state legislator who was censured by her colleagues for opposing the state’s decision to continue allowing boys in girls’ sports.

An affront to gender ideology

In February, state Rep. Laurel Libby called on the Trump administration to take action after a boy won first place in a girls’ pole vaulting state championship, despite President Donald Trump’s executive order denying federal funds to any entity that does so. 

“The decision by the Maine Principals’ Association to continue allowing male athletes to compete against female athletes in school athletic competitions is outrageous,” Libby wrote on Facebook alongside a photo of the competitors. “Not only does their decision violate President Trump’s February 5 Executive Order but it jeopardizes the safety and privacy of female athletes, all while allowing male athletes to take medals, trophies, and podium spots away from women, effectively erasing them.”

She added, “I urge the Trump Administration to swiftly ensure that female athletes in Maine can once again compete on a level playing field, preserving the integrity of women’s sports.”

Censured

Maine Democrats censured Libby on the pretext that she shared an identifiable photo of the transgender player, who is a minor. Libby countered that the photo was public. She tried to give a statement on the House floor, but she was repeatedly interrupted and cut off. Her censure deprived her of the right to speak or cast a vote in the House.

Vindicated by SCOTUS

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court ruled in a 7-2 decision that those rights must be restored while the case is litigated in a lower court. Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson and Sonia Sotomayor dissented.

“VICTORY! The U.S. Supreme Court just restored the voice of 9,000 Mainers! After 2+ months of being silenced for speaking up for Maine girls, I can once again vote on behalf of the people of House District 90,” Libby wrote on social media in response to the ruling. “This is a win for free speech — and for the Constitution.”

In a separate post, she added: “This is a victory not just for my constituents, but for the Constitution itself. The Supreme Court has affirmed what should never have been in question, that no state legislature has the power to silence an elected official simply for speaking truthfully about issues that matter.”

Americans stand with Libby

Maine Governor Janet Mills has openly defied Trump’s executive order against men in women’s sports, despite polls showing that her position is widely unpopular with the American people.

According to a New York Times/Ipsos survey in January, eight in ten Americans say men should be banned from women’s sports, even those who claim to be female. The number included 94% of Republicans and 67% of Democrats. The survey results match those of a Napolitan poll published last year which found that 75% of Americans want men banned from women’s sports, bathrooms, locker rooms, and showers, while 13% say men should be allowed in those spaces as long as they claim to be female. 

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