“I’m a transgender girl,” 14-year-old Iris Turmelle said. “I’ve known that my whole life and everyone knows I’m a girl. I don’t understand why I shouldn’t get to have the same opportunities as other girls at school.”
The families of two transgender teenagers have filed a lawsuit against New Hampshire, challenging a recently-passed law that would prohibit them from playing high school-level girls’ sports.
According to FOX News, the complaint alleges that 15-year-old Parker Tirrell and 14-year-old Iris Turmelle have identified as girls from a young age. They have both been diagnosed with gender dysphoria, a term used to describe feelings of discomfort or incongruence between an individual’s biological sex and their gender identity.
Attorneys for the families claim that New Hampshire’s law infringes upon the teenagers’ constitutional rights, and violates federal statutes prohibiting gender-based discrimination in education.
FOX News notes that the new legislation, entitled the “Fairness in Women’s Sports Act,” was signed into law last month. It broadly limits the ability of transgender girls to participate in certain competitions, restricting most opportunities to women whose birth certificates indicate that they were born female.
In a statement, state Gov. Chris Sununu said that the Act “ensures fairness in women’s sports by maintaining integrity and competitive balance in athletic competitions.”
Tirrell, a soon-to-be-sophomore at Plymouth Regional High School, said that her district let her play on the girls’ soccer team through ninth grade—and that she had plans to continue competing before Gov. Sununu approved the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act.
“Playing soccer with my teammates is where I feel the most free and happy. We’re there for each other, win or lose,” Tirrell said in a statement. “Not being allowed to play on my team with the other girls would disconnect me from so many of my friends and make school so much harder.”
Iris Turmelle, the other teenager involved in the claim, said that she cannot understand why her gender identity should prevent her from playing sports.
“I’m a transgender girl,” she said. “I’ve known that my whole life and everyone knows I’m a girl. I don’t understand why I shouldn’t get to have the same opportunities as other girls at school.”
The lawsuit says that Tirrell and Turmelle take puberty-blocking medications that inhibit muscle development, among other biological changes.
Both families are being represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, the Goodwin Procter law firm, and the Massachusetts-based nonprofit GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders (GLAD).
“Sports are a pillar of education in New Hampshire public schools because of the countless benefits of physical activity in a team environment,” GLAD staff attorney Chris Erchull said in a statement republished by NBC News. “New Hampshire cannot justify singling out transgender girls to deny them essential educational benefits available to other students.”
New Hampshire, adds NBC News, also recently passed another law prohibiting transgender minors from receiving certain forms of gender-affirming care, including reassignment surgery and referrals to out-of-state providers.
Sources
Families of trans teens file lawsuit against New Hampshire officials over sports ban
Transgender girls sue New Hampshire officials over sports ban
Trans teens file lawsuit challenging New Hampshire law banning them from girls’ sports
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