On Tuesday, the Minnesota State Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a high-profile case involving JayCee Cooper, a trans-identified male powerlifter, who sued USA Powerlifting (USAPL) after being barred from competing in the women’s category. The lawsuit, filed in 2021, alleges that the organization violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on an individual’s gender identity.
The case stems from USAPL’s decision to deny Cooper’s participation on the women’s team in 2018. Last year, a district court sided with Cooper, ruling that USAPL’s actions constituted discrimination and mandating the organization to cease all “unfair discriminatory practices” related to gender identity. USAPL appealed the decision, leading to the case being elevated to the state’s Supreme Court.
During Tuesday’s hearing, the court questioned USAPL’s counsel, Ansis Viksnins, about whether barring Cooper was discriminatory. Viksnins argued that the federation’s policies are rooted in biological distinctions, not gender identity. “The motive here was to separate biological males into a category where they are competing against other people who were born biologically male,” Viksnins told the court. “Our client separates competitors by age, weight, and sex, not by gender identity or sexual orientation.”
The court challenged the attorney with a hypothetical comparison involving Catholics, questioning if such a group exclusion would be legitimate. Viksnins dismissed the analogy, stating, “There is no legitimate, nondiscriminatory reason why there could be separation based on religion or race, whereas there is a legitimate, nondiscriminatory reason for separating biological males from competing against biological females.”
USAPL President Larry Maile defended the organization’s approach, emphasizing fairness in competition. In 2021, USAPL introduced an “open” category to accommodate all gender identities. “Our goal at USAPL is to create rules and a framework that uphold the principles of fair play, not to exclude anyone,” Maile said. “Science shows those who were born biologically male have a profound physical advantage over female-born athletes.”
Cooper’s athletic history includes two wins against a single challenger in the women’s raw 198+ open category in 2019. However, Cooper placed last in the open category at the 2019 USPA National Championships, finishing fourth out of four contestants.
The Minnesota Supreme Court’s decision could have far-reaching implications for how athletic organizations define competition categories and balance the principles of inclusion and fair play. Both sides await a final ruling on the case, which continues to highlight the growing tension between gender identity policies and biological distinctions in sports.
