MINNEAPOLIS— The Minnesota Supreme Court will hear the case of a transgender woman who was rejected from competing in the women’s division of the US Powerlifting Championships competition.
The lawsuit alleges that USA Powerlifting discriminated against Jaycee Cooper when it denied her entry to two competitions in 2018.
“It’s just the basic law of discrimination that you can’t single out people based on who they are, based on averages, generalizations and stereotypes about what their bodies are like. That applies to cis-gender women, it applies to transgender women, and we want to make sure the law is enforced,” said one of her attorneys from Gender Justice Jess Braverman.
Braverman said USA Powerlifting’s policy violates Minnesota’s Human Rights Act.
USA Powerlifting said it was not discriminatory, arguing that Cooper would have a physical advantage in the women’s category.
In a statement, President Larry Maile said: “We ensure fair competition for our athletes by banning performance-enhancing drugs and establishing competition categories based on science – including age, weight and gender. These categories are essential to maintaining the integrity and purpose of strength. -based sports like ours, and the implications of this case extend far beyond powerlifting.”
To support trans athletes, USAPL said it established an open MX division in 2021 to serve all gender identities, including transgender and non-binary members.
“This case isn’t just important for Jaycee, it’s not just important for trans athletes, it’s important for all of us to ensure that discrimination doesn’t happen in Minnesota,” Braverman said.
Kirsten Mitchell
