Transgender weightlifter JayCee Cooper celebrates Minnesota Supreme Court ruling
A transgender weightlifter at the center of a long-running legal dispute has celebrated a significant ruling from Minnesota’s Supreme Court, which found that USA Powerlifting acted unlawfully by preventing participation in a women’s competition, reports BritPanorama.
The court determined that the organisation’s policy barring Cooper from competing in the female division was “facially discriminatory” under the Minnesota Human Rights Act. This ruling underscores that businesses and athletic bodies in the state cannot exclude individuals based on gender identity, though it left open the question of whether USA Powerlifting can justify its actions on grounds of maintaining competitive fairness.
The case now returns to a lower court, which will consider whether the federation’s decision meets the legal standard of a “legitimate business purpose.” Central to this discussion is whether ensuring fairness in athletic competition can legally justify exclusion based on gender identity.
As the legal process unfolded, Cooper took to social media to defend the decision to challenge the policy, addressing critics who opposed the lawsuit. “Complaining is whining about how many sprinkles are on your cupcake,” Cooper remarked, suggesting that critics of her actions were not engaging adequately with issues of inclusion and discrimination.
The ruling has prompted a wide array of reactions online. Critics argue that the decision undermines fairness in women’s sports, with one post on X describing it as “a mockery of fair play,” while another condemned the controversy as “highly irresponsible.” In contrast, Cooper’s legal team, represented by advocacy group Gender Justice, lauded the ruling as a significant advancement for civil rights protections in Minnesota.
“This decision confirms that the Minnesota Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination based on gender identity,” said Gender Justice legal director Jess Braverman. Meanwhile, USA Powerlifting maintains that its policy is rooted in legitimate competitive concerns. Attorney Ansis Viksnins expressed that the decision represents “a mixed outcome” and highlighted that the next phase of the case will allow a jury to directly evaluate the fairness issue.
Viksnins stated, “Our position is that excluding a transgender woman from the women’s division was done for legitimate reasons related to maintaining fairness in the sport.” The participation of transgender athletes in competitive sports continues to evoke strong opinions across the United States.
Data from the Movement Advancement Project indicates that 29 states have enacted measures restricting transgender women and girls from competing in certain female categories, although many of those laws remain tied up in ongoing litigation. In a related development, federal authorities recently determined that Minnesota’s high school athletics association violated anti-discrimination law by permitting transgender athletes to compete in girls’ sports.
The Minnesota Human Rights Act offers robust protections against discrimination, including on the basis of gender identity. Notably, the law was updated in 2023 to reinforce these protections amid ongoing national debates regarding the balance between inclusion and competitive integrity.
In a landscape defined by the tensions between competitive fairness and inclusion, Cooper’s case exemplifies the evolving dialogue on these pressing issues. As the legal frameworks adapt, the journey ahead for athletes in similar situations remains a focal point of societal discourse.
