An LGBTQ+ group is dropping its lawsuit against the Arizona Department of Education over the state’s ban on boys competing in girls’ sports.
The National Center for LGBTQ Rights (NCLR) made its decision after the Supreme Court last week issued a ruling upholding similar bans in other states. The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that Title IX allows sports teams to be separated by biological sex, and that states have a constitutional right to uphold those distinctions.
“It’s gratifying that it’s all over. They’ve agreed to dismiss the case and it’s a great victory for girl sports,” Arizona Department of Education Superintendent Tom Horne said, according to a report from AZFamily.
“We have had the law prohibiting boys from being in girls’ sports since 2022. Two large law firms from New York filed an action in the Tucson area to declare our law unconstitutional,” Horne continued.
NCLR said it voluntarily decided to drop the lawsuit at the request of their clients.
“As an initial matter, I would like to correct the press release from Horne. The case has not yet been dismissed. We have communicated our client’s desire to dismiss the litigation to opposing counsel,” NCLR Representative Rachel H. Berg told the outlet.
“Litigation is a grueling process, particularly for young people. It was over three years ago that this case started, when our client was in middle school. She has decided for personal reasons that she does not want to continue with the litigation,” Berg continued.
The organization did not confirm whether it is taking any next steps.
Horne called the decision a “victory for girl athletes and for common sense.”
“There had been numerous articles about girls who worked hard on their sports, hoping to make the team, or even get a college scholarship or compete for the Olympics. Then they had to compete with a biological boy who was bigger, stronger and faster from birth. They could not compete. Their dreams were shattered and they were devastated,” he said. “They no longer need to fear those outcomes.”
Katherine Hamilton is a political reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on X @thekat_hamilton.