Trans-Identified Male Powerlifter Barred From Female Competitions Experienced ‘Sex Discrimination,’ Court Rules

By Genevieve Gluck

The Supreme Court of Minnesota has ruled that trans-identified male powerlifter Joel “Jaycee” Cooper experienced “sex discrimination” when USA Powerlifting barred him from competing in the women’s category. In a precedent-setting decision handed down on Wednesday, Chief Justice Natalie Hudson argued that USA Powerlifting’s policy prohibiting males who claim a transgender status from competing against female athletes constitutes discrimination on the basis of both sex and sexual orientation.

“Under the Minnesota Human Rights Act (MHRA) protection of transgender individuals against discrimination based on sexual orientation, a policy that expressly prohibits transgender women from competing in the women’s division of a powerlifting competition is facially discriminatory and constitutes direct evidence of discrimination based on sexual orientation,” the ruling states.

The Minnesota Human Rights Act was amended in 1993 to include the concept of “gender identity,” making it the first state in the U.S. to define a self-declared transgender status as a protected characteristic. The MHRA was then updated in 2023 at the behest of trans-identified male lawmaker Leigh Finke. The first U.S. city to adopt similar policies was Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1975.

Under the MHRA, “gender identity” is protected under the broader category of sexual orientation, which is defined as “having or being perceived as having a self-image or identity not traditionally associated with one’s biological maleness or femaleness.”

Cited in the decision was USA Powerlifting’s policy that it “does not allow male to female transgender athletes at all,” that “trans women couldn’t compete in the women’s division,” and that “we do not allow male to female transgender athletes at all, full stop.”

During court deliberations, USAPL’s attorney Ansis Viksnins argued that the policy was based on biology rather than an individual’s self-declared gender identity, and said, “USA Powerlifting did not exclude Ms. Cooper because of her gender identity. She simply was excluded from a women’s division because she had gone through puberty as a male and has significant strength advantages.”

The case has been ongoing since 2021, and was initiated by Cooper after USAPL denied his application to compete in the Women’s State Championships.

According to a complaint lodged on Cooper’s behalf by trans activist legal group Gender Justice, Cooper first began competing in women’s powerlifting in 2018. While training for the Women’s State Championships, which took place on January 19, 2019, Cooper was informed that he would not be granted permission to participate.

In 2019, Cooper was recorded as weighing 280 pounds, and by that time he had already won two titles in the women’s category despite having only entered the sport the year before. He has also set a new benchpress record in the female category with a 214.5-pound lift.

“On December 5, 2018, USAPL emailed Ms. Cooper, informing her that she could not compete because she is transgender,” reads the May 2024 complaint referring to Cooper with feminine pronouns. “USAPL then revoked her competition card, which means that she was not eligible to compete in future USAPL events. USAPL MN then went on to hold both championship events, at which all transgender women athletes were prohibited from competing.”

Mentioned in yesterday’s Supreme Court ruling was an email from a USAPL Committee Chair sent to Cooper in response to his application: “Male to female transgenders are not allowed to compete in our static strength sport as it is a directive competitive advantage.”

USAPL published a statement clarifying their policy regarding athletes who claim a transgender status in 2019. “Identifying as one sex does not defy the factual physical differences between sexes that exist regardless of sex reassignment or hormone suppression,” the statement reads. “The assertion of gender choice, although legal to change in parts of the world, does not erase the dimorphic differences of sex, formalized at birth and continually developing throughout the lifespan, that have direct implications to performance advantages.”

At the time, USAPL also released a transgender participation policy which states: “Men naturally have a larger bone structure, higher bone density, stronger connective tissue and higher muscle density than women. These traits, even with reduced levels of testosterone do not go away. While MTF may be weaker and less muscle than they once were, the biological benefits given them at birth still remain over than of a female.”

However, Gender Justice has insisted that Cooper, who was “assigned male at birth” is in fact a “woman” who has been the victim of “discrimination” for being barred from competing against women.

In 2023, Judge Patrick Diamond ruled in favor of Cooper, stating that USA Powerlifting’s policy banning trans-identified males from competing in the women’s division was discriminatory under Minnesota law. Judge Diamond also ordered USA Powerlifting to immediately stop “discriminating” according to gender identity and to revise their policies within two weeks. 

USA Powerlifting said the decision required them to “cease doing business” in Minnesota. “We believe the judge has misinterpreted Minnesota law in this regard and exceeded his authority in terms of the conduct of our service to our members,” reads a USAPL statement.

“We will appeal this highly unusual ruling. However, while these proceedings play out, we are ordered to suspend competitions in Minnesota and cease selling memberships to Minnesota residents. We are investigating relocating Midwest Regionals and further information will be forthcoming.”

USAPL then relocated their Midwest Regionals from Minnesota to Wisconsin in order to avoid a risk of further lawsuits filed on the basis of their policy prioritizing biological sex over gender identity.

Yesterday’s Supreme Court verdict overturns a 2024 decision from the Minnesota Court of Appeals which found in favor of USAPL and partially reversed Judge Diamond’s ruling.

USAPL attorney Viksnins called the ruling a partial victory for both sides, and said that the decision means they will get to tell a jury “why excluding a transgender woman from competing in the women’s division was for legitimate reasons, for maintaining fairness in athletics.”

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Genevieve Gluck
Genevieve Gluck
Genevieve is the Co-Founder of Reduxx, and the outlet's Chief Investigative Journalist with a focused interest in pornography, sexual predators, and fetish subcultures. She is the creator of the podcast Women's Voices, which features news commentary and interviews regarding women's rights.
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