Beginning on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear two oral arguments brought up by two students who seek to challenge Republican laws in the states of Idaho and West Virginia. In what is sure to be two landmark arguments, the two cases, Little v. Hecox and West Virginia v. B.P.J., will challenge the Republican-backed law that prevents trans women and girls from participating in athletic programs for women and girls.
Referenced in The Guardian, if the rulings are broad, the US Supreme Court could lift restrictions and make it less difficult for school officials and lawmakers to strictly prohibit and ban trans students from having the same opportunities as cisgender students. Citing key things, such as using appropriate bathrooms, enforcing a strict dress code, and even restricting LGBTQ+ youths from using chosen names and pronouns, the supreme decision can present negative consequences on the LGBTQ+ community.
Cathryn Oakley, the senior director of legal policy for the Human Rights Campaign, which is an LGBTQ+ rights group, had this to say on the matter at hand: “It’s really scary. The Supreme Court is poised to tell us whether dislike and moral disapproval of a specific group can be a real basis to make a law.”
While the decisions for the oral arguments have not yet been made, it is undeniable that this creates more fear and uncertainty in already troubling times.
