NW Twin Cities

The Minnesota Supreme Court has ruled that biological males are permitted to compete in female athletics, a decision that has drawn criticism from Rep. Scott Van Binsbergen, R-Montevideo. Van Binsbergen expressed concern that the ruling could impact the safety of girls and the integrity of fair competition.

Earlier this year, House Republicans introduced two bills aimed at protecting female athletes and ensuring fairness in school sports. The Preserving Girls Sports Act (H.F. 12), co-authored by Van Binsbergen, proposed that only female students be allowed to participate in sports designated for women or girls. However, these measures did not advance after being blocked by House Democrats.

“This ruling is exactly why House Republicans worked to clarify our state law last session,” Van Binsbergen said. “At the time, people in our area were dismayed we have to update state law to make clear that biological males shouldn’t participate in girls sports. People couldn’t understand why House Democrats voted against protecting female athletes and their ability to have fair competition. Now, the Supreme Court has shown us why we need to clarify state law. This issue needs to be addressed in the 2026 session, and I look forward to this discussion.”

Van Binsbergen cited incidents found online where girls competing against biological males have suffered injuries such as concussions and lost teeth. He also referenced a United Nations report indicating that nearly 900 medals worldwide have been awarded to transgender women competing in female events.

In March, House Republicans attempted to pass the Preserving Girls Sports Act but were unsuccessful after opposition from House Democrats. The bill was tabled but remains available for consideration during the 2026 legislative session, along with H.F. 1233.

“This issue has become partisan politics at its worst,” Van Binsbergen said. “You have every single Minnesota House Democrat voting against protecting female athletes, followed by a court packed with judges appointed by Democrat governors – including five selected by Tim Walz himself – all marching in lockstep with the bizarre notion that biological males have a right to participate in girls sports. It’s sad to see how the radical left has taken hold in our courts and in our legislature, to the point common sense goes out the window and they can’t even agree biological males don’t belong in girls sports.”

The Supreme Court’s ruling came from Cooper v. USA Powerlifting, where it determined that USA Powerlifting had discriminated against a transgender athlete by banning her from women's events under the Human Rights Act. The case was sent back to a lower court for further consideration on whether a “competitive fairness” defense could serve as an exception.