WASHINGTON, D.C, June 30, 2026—The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention responded to the Supreme Court’s decision in the cases, West Virginia v. B.P.J. and Little v. Hecox, which upheld laws in West Virginia and Idaho that prohibit biological men from competing in women’s sports. This is a significant victory for biblical truth and biological reality that Southern Baptists can celebrate.
Both cases before the Court were brought by biologically male athletes seeking to participate in women’s sports in Idaho and West Virginia. The athletes sought to have the state laws struck down for allegedly violating sex-discrimination protections under Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause.
The justices ultimately rejected these arguments in an opinion authored by Justice Kavanaugh. On the question of Title IX, the justices ruled 9-0 that “sex” under Title IX refers to biological sex, not gender identity. On the question of equal protection, the Court ruled 6-3 along ideological lines with the Court’s conservative justices holding that sex-specific sports teams do not violate the 14th Amendment.
ERLC President Dr. Evan Lenow reacted to the Court’s decision, stating,
“Today, the Supreme Court upheld both the biblical standard for sexuality and a commonsense approach to defining sex. In the joint opinion of two women’s sports cases, the Court determined that girls’ and women’s sports teams may be reserved for biological females and that states have the right to separate sports teams based on biological sex.
“On numerous occasions, Southern Baptists have addressed the concern over transgender ideology in our culture, most recently in a 2025 resolution. In that resolution, the Convention specifically addressed women’s sports and concerns over biological males competing against females, stating that ‘the participation of biological males and females in opposite gender sports … represents a rebellion against God’s design for male and female … and undermines fairness, safety, and truth.’ This convictional clarity from Southern Baptists undergirds and bolsters the ERLC’s efforts to champion God’s good design for gender and sexuality in a confused culture.”
The ERLC filed amicus briefs supporting the states’ laws in both the Little v. Hecox and in West Virginia v. B.P.J.
