Tuesday January 13 the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) will once again debate the lives and dignity of transgender people. The Court will hear oral arguments on West Virginia v. B.P.J. and Little v. Hecox, cases challenging laws that block transgender people from playing sports as their authentic selves.  You can listen to the oral arguments here. SCOTUS releases decisions in spring and early summer, with LGBTQIA+ related decisions historically released in June.   These cases impact far more than sports participation. They are one thread in a web of attacks that dictate how transgender people are allowed to participate in daily life.     How did we get here?  U.S. state laws banning transgender women from sports were first passed in 2020, although Texas was ahead of the curve. In 2016, the University Interscholastic League (UIL), the governing body for Texas high school sports, passed a policy to tie a student’s sports participation to the gender on their birth certificate, effectively banning any transgender athletes without updated birth certificates.    Representative Valoree