Two New Hampshire teenagers and their families have filed a lawsuit against state education officials over a law forbidding them from participating in female sports teams at their public high schools, CNN reported.
There has been intense debate nationwide in recent years concerning bans against transgender athletes.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court in Concord, said that 15-year-old Parker Tirrell should be able to play on the girls' soccer team and 14-year-old Iris Turmelle should be able to try out for the girls' tennis and track and field teams.
But a state law, which is set to go into effect Monday, would keep both from playing on any female sports teams at their schools, according to court documents.
The lawsuit said the law violates federal civil rights rules, which prevent sex discrimination in federally funded education programs and activities, NBC News reported.
Both have been diagnosed with gender dysphoria, a health condition in which there is distress resulting from a mismatch between one's birth sex and gender identity, the suit said, according to CNN. They receive puberty-blocking medication and hormone therapy "to alleviate the distress of physical characteristics that conflict with their gender identity."
"Playing soccer with my teammates is where I feel the most free and happy," Tirrell said in a statement. "We're there for each other, win or lose. Not being allowed to play on my team with the other girls would disconnect me from so many of my friends and make school so much harder. I just want to be myself and to learn, play, and support my teammates like I did last year."
Tirrell's mother, Sara, said that being excluded from the team could have an adverse effect on her child.
New Hampshire is among 25 states with statewide laws banning transgender students from competing on sports teams aligning with their gender identities, according to Movement Advancement Project, a nonprofit think tank.
Republican New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu signed the bill into law last month, stating it "ensures fairness and safety in women's sports by maintaining integrity and competitive balance in athletic competitions."
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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