New Hampshire recently passed a series of anti-trans laws, and now the community is pushing back.

Last Friday, two New Hampshire teenagers, both soccer players who have identified as girls since childhood, filed a lawsuit against the state challenging its transgender sports ban. With support from the ACLU, the lawsuit argues that the ban violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and Title IX, a 1972 amendment ensuring equal opportunities in education based on sex.

The lawsuit further states that the plaintiffs are seeking a restraining order against the defendants, along with a request for a temporary injunction on the bill, to allow the girls to return to playing sports while the case is being decided.

Chris Erchull, senior staff attorney with GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), emphasized in a statement, “Sports are a crucial part of education in New Hampshire public schools, offering numerous benefits such as physical and mental health, leadership development, and social growth. The state cannot justify excluding transgender girls and denying them these important educational opportunities available to other students.”

H.B. 1205, signed into law last month by Gov. Chris Sununu (R), prohibits transgender girls from participating on girls’ sports teams throughout high school. The bill was enacted alongside two other anti-trans laws, while a fourth bill aimed at overturning the state’s anti-discrimination protections for trans individuals was vetoed by the governor.

The lawsuit names the Commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Education, members of the New Hampshire Board of Education, and the girls’ high school school board as defendants. The plaintiffs are represented by Chris Erchull and Ben Klein from GLAD, Henry Klementowicz and Gilles Bissonnette from the ACLU of New Hampshire, and Louis Lobel, Kevin DeJong, and Elaine Blais from Goodwin.

Henry Klementowicz, Deputy Legal Director of the ACLU of New Hampshire, stated, “H.B. 1205 discriminates against and stigmatizes transgender girls, sending the message that they are unworthy of the same educational opportunities as other girls. All students thrive when they have access to resources that support their mental, emotional, and physical well-being, and transgender girls deserve the same access.”