MN Court of Appeals affirms transgender powerlifting case [Video]

ST PAUL, Minn — (Editor’s note: The above video originally aired on February 28, 2023.)

The Minnesota Court of Appeals has found that discrimination against athletes based on gender identity violates the Minnesota Human Rights Act.

In a ruling released Monday, the court announced it is sending the case of a transgender woman who was denied entry into USA Powerlifting (USAPL) competitions back to a district court to determine whether she was rejected because she is transgender. However, the Appeals Court justices ruled the lower court erred when granting judgement in favor of JayCee Cooper, a powerlifter who was banned from competing in women’s competitions. 

A bit of history: In 2019 Cooper, through Gender Justice, filed a discrimination claim with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights against USA Powerlifting for banning her and all …