Minnesota Supreme Court hears discrimination lawsuit brought by transgender athlete
MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Supreme Court heard Tuesday the case of a transgender woman who was rejected from entering the women's division of the USA Powerlifting championships competition.
The lawsuit alleges USA Powerlifting discriminated against Jaycee Cooper when they denied her entry to two competitions in 2018.
"It's just basic discrimination law that you can't pick out people based on who they are, based on averages, generalizations and stereotypes about what their bodies are like. That's true for cis-gendered women, it's true for transgender women, and we want to make sure that law is enforced," said one of her attorneys from Gender Justice, Jess Braverman.
Braverman said the policies of USA Powerlifting are in violation of Minnesota's Human Rights Act.
USA Powerlifting said it was not discriminatory, arguing Cooper would have a physical advantage in the women's category.
In a statement, president Larry Maile said, "We ensure fair competition for our athletes by banning performance-enhancing drugs and establishing competition categories grounded in science - including age, weight and sex. These categories are essential to preserving the integrity and purpose of strength-based sports like ours, and the consequences of this case extend far beyond powerlifting."
To support trans athletes, USAPL said it created an open MX division in 2021 to serve all gender identities, including transgender and nonbinary members.
But the added division, Braverman said, "doesn't solve the problem of transgender women being barred from women's competition, which is the issue."
Braverman and representatives from Gender Justice said they're awaiting the Minnesota Supreme Court's ruling, which could come down at any point.
"This case isn't just important for Jaycee, it's not just important for trans athletes, it's important for all of us to make sure there's no discrimination in Minnesota," Braverman said.
Note: The above video first aired on Dec. 2, 2024, the day before the state Supreme Court heard oral arguments.
