South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has joined a coalition of 21 states in challenging a Colorado school district’s policy that assigns student accommodations for field trips and sporting events based on gender identity. The move follows a federal district court’s dismissal of a lawsuit brought by Christian parents against the policy, prompting the states to file a friend-of-the-court brief appealing the decision.
“As the father of a teenage daughter who plays sports, I can’t imagine her going to an out-of-town sporting event and rooming with a biological boy,” said Attorney General Wilson. “Protecting girls in private spaces is common sense and one that I will never quit fighting for.”
The attorneys general argue that the court’s ruling treats Christians with traditional views on human sexuality as second-class citizens. They also claim that the school district’s policy relies on outdated guidelines regarding pediatric gender dysphoria.
Earlier this year, Attorney General Wilson, along with officials from 27 other states, petitioned the Supreme Court to allow states to enact laws restricting participation in girls’ sports to individuals assigned female at birth. Similar laws passed in West Virginia and Idaho were overturned by federal appeals courts. In 2022, South Carolina enacted its own law—the Save Women’s Sports Act—which classifies sports teams based on biological sex at birth rather than gender identity.
Other states joining Wilson in signing the brief include Florida, Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming. The Arizona state legislature also joined.
The full text of the legal brief is available online.
