Federal Judge Rules Trans Teen Can Play Soccer Just In Time For Her To Attend First Practice

Parker Tirrell was dressed in her soccer clothes and ready to play that afternoon while waiting on the ruling.

Parker (3rd from left in black) and Iris (4th from right in blue) stand after winning their case.

Today, standing in front of a courtroom, attorneys for Parker Tirrell and Iris Turmelle, two transgender girls, won an emergency temporary restraining order allowing Tirrell to continue playing soccer with her friends. The federal judge's ruling came just in time for Tirrell to attend soccer practice, which started on Monday. Tirrell, dressed in her athletic outfit and ready to play, was present throughout the hearing. Sources confirm that Tirrell was able to attend practice on Monday evening, where her teammates stood by her side in full support of her participation.

The lawsuit, filed by GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), the American Civil Liberties Union of New Hampshire, and Goodwin, alleges that Tirrell and Turmelle have never experienced male puberty. They transitioned at a young age, began taking puberty blockers at the onset of puberty, and have no conceivable athletic advantage or risk of harm to other girls their age (importantly, even those who have gone through male puberty see most conceivable advantages disappear after two years on hormone therapy). Tirrell joined her soccer team last year and received full support from her teammates, who, according to the filing, are her biggest source of emotional support and acceptance.

Attorneys argued that HB 1205, a law passed earlier this year, violated the students' Title IX protections as well as the Equal Protection Clause of the United States Constitution. The state also enacted a "Don’t Say Gay"-style law and a ban on transgender youth surgeries. However, Governor Sununu vetoed a bill that would have allowed bathroom bans and removed transgender individuals from nondiscrimination protections. In this particular hearing, the judge was tasked with determining the likely outcome of the transgender sports ban, given that Tirrell’s first soccer practice was scheduled for Monday after school.

Early Monday afternoon, the decision came from the bench: Tirrell would be able to play soccer, as the law was likely discriminatory towards transgender students.

You can see Tirrell, dressed in her athletic outfit and ready to play, flanked by her attorneys and fellow litigant Turmelle, as reported by Steven Porter of The Boston Globe.

Parker Tirrell and Iris Turmelle at a press conference after receiving the emergency TRO (credit: Steven Porter, Boston Globe)

Under the recently passed New Hampshire law, if a student’s "biological sex" is unclear or challenged, the law requires that "other evidence" of their assigned sex at birth be provided. This provision has been interpreted to potentially require genital inspections. Senator Ruth Ward, when confronted with these concerns, stated, "There are ways of finding out whether you’re a male or female... I would check with the coach or medical physician for the team," which did not alleviate concerns.

For Tirrell, though, she will have no such concerns. She was able to leave the hearing to make it to practice on time, where she has full support of her friends and teammates.

“I have watched Parker dance with joy on the soccer field during warmups and have seen how her teammates have become her closest friends. Any parent wants to know their child is healthy, happy, and feels like they belong. That is no different for my husband and me as parents of a transgender daughter,” said Tirrell’s mother.