Judge Allows Transgender Teen in Girls' Soccer Team

A federal judge has temporarily allowed transgender teenager Parker Tirrell to join her high school girls' soccer team amid a legal challenge to New Hampshire's recently enacted 'Fairness in Women's Sports Act.' The law, signed by Gov. Chris Sununu, mandates that student athletes' eligibility is based on the sex listed on their birth certificates. Tirrell and another transgender student, Iris Turmelle, filed a lawsuit arguing the law violates Title IX by discriminating based on gender identity. Chief Judge Landya McCafferty ruled that Tirrell, who has been on puberty blockers, does not have a physiological advantage over cisgender girls. The judge's order will remain in effect until a further hearing within 14 days to decide on a preliminary injunction while the lawsuit proceeds. Both cases will undergo further hearings to determine if the temporary blocks should become more permanent.