Two trans girls and their families are suing New Hampshire’s education officials over a ban on trans student-athletes playing in women’s sports. But a judge granted an emergency order that allows them to play on their respective teams–one of whom attended the hearing in her athletic clothes and left the courtroom to go straight to practice.
15-year-old Parker Tirrell and 14-year-old Iris Turmelle and their families filed a lawsuit against New Hampshire H.B. 1205, the “Fairness in Women’s Sports Act,” one of a slew of anti-trans bills that Republican Governor Chris Sununu signed into law in July.
The law went into effect on Sunday and bars trans women and girls from competing on school sports teams at K-12 schools and public universities. Tirrell and Turmelle are suing, saying that it is both a violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution and Title IX, the federal anti-discrimination statute that protects students from gender discrimination at school.
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The plaintiffs filed additional motions along with the lawsuit: an emergency motion for a temporary restraining order, requesting that Tirrell and Turmelle be allowed to try out and play on their respective sports teams, and a motion to block the law from enforcement while the case proceeds.
Yesterday, the emergency motion was granted by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Landya McCafferty, meaning that Tirell could head straight to soccer practice, independent LGBTQ+ journalist Erin Reed reported. Tirrell was wearing her athletic gear in the courtroom while the decision was read out, and according to NBC 10 Boston, made it in time for her Monday night soccer practice.
Tirrell gave a statement via a press release to Them, where she she said that playing soccer with her teammates is where she feels “the most free and happy.”
“We’re there for each other, win or lose,” she said. “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.”
Turmelle also gave a press release, saying that starting freshman year in the fall is “exciting and new,” and she was excited to try out for sports.
“I’ve been looking forward to trying out for the tennis and track teams because it will be a way to make more friends in my new school, and I know I’ll learn a lot from it,” she said. “I’m a transgender girl, I’ve known that my whole life and everyone knows I’m a girl. I don’t understand why I shouldn’t get to have the same opportunities as other girls at school.”
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