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A transgender weightlifter has brazenly mocked women who protested her eligibility to compete after she filed a lawsuit that her sport excluded her. Minnesota's Supreme Court ruled in favor of JayCee Cooper, agreeing that USA Powerlifting wrongly barred her from a 2018 competition for allegedly having strength advantages over other women. The state ruled on Wednesday that the policy which prevents Cooper from competing in the female division is 'facially discriminatory' under the Minnesota Human Rights Act. As legal proceedings were underway, Cooper took to social media to take aim at her critics. 'Complaining is whining about how many sprinkles are on your cupcake, or whether or not you didn't get a certain amount of chocolate chips on a cookie,' she said. 'Complaining is not standing up for your rights and speaking out about exclusion and discrimination. Just a thought.' The ruling gave a partial win to Cooper, but a lower court is now weighing in on whether USA Powerlifting had a 'legitimate business purpose' for the rejection. 'Everything wrong with the argument for inclusion,' one critic wrote on X. 'These are cheating narcissistic bullies who make a mockery of fair play and sportsmanship!' Another wrote: 'Such behavior is highly irresponsible and should be condemned.' LGBTQ+ rights group Gender Justice, which represents Cooper, noted that she won on the issue of state law making it illegal for businesses or facilities to discriminate against people. 'That claim will not be unraveled,' Gender Justice legal counsel Jess Braverman said, calling the ruling a victory. The group said this ruling will help protect transgender people in Minnesota against discrimination. However, the justices noted that the law allows organizations to justify their actions if they were done for 'legitimate business purpose defense.' They added that there is a 'genuine dispute of material fact' on whether 'seeking to ensure competitive fairness in an athletic competition' meets that test. USA Powerlifting attorney Ansis Viksnins called the ruling a mixed decision - a partial victory for both sides. 'Our opponents like to spin losses as victories and victories and victories, so I'm not surprised that they are claiming this is a victory,' Viksnins told the Associated Press. He said the ruling 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.' Viksnins said that they will argue that transgender women have an unfair strength advantage in powerlifting. The participation of transgender athletes in various sports has been a contentious issue across the country. According to the Movement Advancement Project, 29 states blocked transgender women and girls from competing in at least some women's or girls competitions. Some of those bans have been blocked by court orders. Last month, the Trump administration said the state of Minnesota and its governing body for high school sports broke federal anti-discrimination law by allowing transgender athletes to compete in girls sports. The Minnesota Human Rights Act contains broad protections against discrimination, including on the basis of sex defined broadly, and was updated in 2023 when Democrats controlled the Legislature to specifically include gender identity.
