Melania Trump has issued an unusual public message addressing the LGBTQIA+ community after the US Supreme Court upheld state bans on transgender athletes in women’s and girls’ sports.
In a rare political statement posted on X on June 30, 2026, the first lady repeated a passage from her book Melania and said she supports both LGBTQIA+ rights and protections for female athletes.
“As many of you may know, I fully support the LGBTQIA+ community. But we must also ensure that our female athletes are protected and respected.”
The Supreme Court case involved challenges to laws in West Virginia and Idaho. The court held that Title IX does not require schools to let transgender girls and women compete on teams designated for biological females, and it also found that the laws do not violate the Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause. Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote the majority opinion on the constitutional issue, while the court unanimously agreed on the Title IX question.
Melania’s statement also referenced the court’s legal reasoning.
“The U.S. Supreme Court has now legally confirmed this opinion: ‘Under Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, may schools maintain women’s and girls’ sports for biological females?… The answer is yes.'”
She followed that by arguing that support for LGBTQIA+ rights and protections for women’s sport can exist side by side.
“America, we can support the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community and also protect opportunities for female athletes. Respect everyone and keep girls’ sports fair. Both ideals are essential.”
Donald Trump also reacted to the ruling on Truth Social, calling it a “BIG WIN” and saying the decision removes “men playing in women’s sports” from the table.
Advocacy groups for transgender rights in the US condemned the ruling, warning that it will have harmful effects on transgender young people and athletes. The decision is also expected to strengthen existing state bans in more than two dozen states.
Trans rights groups said the court’s ruling marks another setback for transgender Americans, while supporters of the bans called it a victory for fairness in women’s and girls’ sports.