For many kids, sports are where they find their friends and their confidence. Now, the highest court in the land says some of those kids have to stay on the sidelines.

WHAT HAPPENED

The Supreme Court looked at laws from West Virginia and Idaho. These laws stop trans girls from playing on female teams.

The court voted 6 to 3 to keep these bans in place. Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote the main choice for the court.

He said the laws do not break the highest law of the land. He also said they do not break Title IX, which is a rule about fairness in schools.

What the evidence shows

• The vote was 6 to 3.
• It keeps laws in West Virginia and Idaho active.
• More than 25 states have laws just like these.
• The court says the 14th Amendment was not broken.
• The ruling focuses on fairness for girls born female.

THE BIGGER QUESTION

We often talk about fairness in terms of trophies and medals. But what happens to the social lives of kids who just want to belong?

Are we protecting sports at the cost of a child's mental health? This is a question the court did not answer.

WHAT HAPPENS NOW

This ruling gives a green light to other states. More schools will likely start checking the birth gender of their athletes.

Trans kids may feel less welcome in their own school hallways. This could change how sports work in half of the country.

WHAT WE STILL DON'T KNOW

1. How will schools check a student's gender in real life?
2. Will this lead to bans in pro sports too?
3. How will this affect the mental health of trans youth?