DES MOINES, IOWA (October 16, 2025) — Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird announced Wednesday, October 15, that she was leading a coalition of eighteen states challenging a Minnesota state law that mandates allowing men to participate in women’s sports.
Many states have enacted laws that ban men from participating in women’s sports, but the state of Minnesota has done the opposite. The attorneys-general argue that Minnesota’s law disregards Title IX’s protections for women’s sports. There are physiological differences between biological males and females that are obvious in sports and sports performance. Separate teams ensure fair and safe competition for women and girls.
“It’s simple, women’s sports are for women, and men’s sports are for men,” said AG Bird.
“Mandating that men be allowed to participate in women’s sports strips women of their rights and blatantly disregards Title IX which guarantees those rights. It’s simple biology and common sense. No woman should be forced to compete against men or be denied a level playing field.”
The Iowa-led brief was joined by Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming.
Read the full brief here.
