Every student is entitled to participate in sports and extracurricular activities. Under the U.S. Constitution and Title IX, school districts may not bar students from participating in sports or extracurricular activities because of their gender. Across the country, transgender, non-binary, and gender diverse students are playing sports and participating in school activities in accordance with their gender identity.
Here in Texas, the University Interscholastic League (UIL) oversees most sports competitions, including eligibility requirements. Under current UIL rules, participation in gender-specific sports teams is based on the gender listed on the student’s current birth certificate. This means that transgender students in Texas are typically blocked from participating in sports based on their gender unless they go to court and obtain an order to amend their birth certificate. This process can be both expensive and time consuming. As a result, many transgender athletes are pushed out of sports.
Across the country and here in Texas, anti-LGBTQ groups have pushed to discriminate against transgender students even further by proposing bans on transgender women participating on sports teams that align with their gender identity. But at least one federal court has already stated that it unconstitutional to exclude transgender women from women’s sports.
If you or someone you know is facing discrimination related to sports or involvement in extracurricular activities, you can seek legal assistance through the ACLU of Texas or Lambda Legal.