Maine Democrats Push to Cement Trans Athletes’ Rights in Girls’ Sports—State Constitution Now in Play

The Maine House of Representatives, with Democrats at the helm, has passed a bill aimed at writing protections for transgender athletes directly into the state's constitution. This move would effectively enshrine the Maine Human Rights Act (MHRA)—which allows trans athletes to play in girls' sports—at the highest legal level in the state. Talk about raising the stakes in a debate that's already burning hot across the country.

The MHRA, amended four years ago to include gender identity as a protected class, has been at the center of Maine’s policy allowing trans girls to participate in girls’ school sports. Last year, the Maine Principals’ Association updated its rules to reflect this, letting athletes compete according to their gender identity.

On Thursday, the bill to lock MHRA into the Constitution squeaked by in the House with a simple majority. But before it goes anywhere near voters, it needs a two-thirds supermajority in both legislative chambers—an ambitious hurdle in a state that’s anything but unified on this issue.

Meanwhile, House Republicans are pushing a bill of their own, hoping to scrub the term "gender identity" from the MHRA entirely. The tug-of-war between both sides could make a high school relay race look tame.

This legislative drama comes on the heels of the U.S. Department of Justice filing a lawsuit against Maine for defying former President Trump’s executive order, which aimed to bar trans women from competing in women’s sports. Over the past two months, Maine has faced two federal investigations, a threatened funding freeze from the USDA, and now the lawsuit itself. Federal muscle, meet state stubbornness.

Governor Janet Mills and Attorney General Aaron Frey, both Democrats, aren’t budging. Frey told CNN that Maine is following both federal Title IX and the MHRA, insisting their policies are legally sound and fair to trans girls. "Our position is that Title IX, consistent with the Maine Human Rights Act, so both federal and state law, supports that trans girls will be able to participate in high school sports consistent with their gender identity," Frey said.

Backing this up, school officials from the Maine Principals’ Association and Maine School Administrative District 51 have refused to comply with Trump’s directive, stating their hands are tied by state law and the MHRA.

But here’s where it gets sticky: a recent survey from the American Parents Coalition found that 63% of registered Maine voters believe sports teams should be determined by biological sex, and two-thirds say it’s only fair to keep women’s sports for biological females. Even among independents and parents, support for such measures is high. So, while lawmakers are busy rewriting the rulebook, much of the state seems to want a different game plan.

Despite this, some local districts are taking matters into their own hands. MSAD #70’s school board in Aroostook County unanimously voted to comply with Title IX as interpreted by the Trump administration, separating sports and private spaces strictly by biological sex. Superintendent Tyler Putnam says the board’s priority is giving students a positive future—though in this climate, even figuring out which locker room to use has become a political statement.

So, as Maine’s leaders double down on their stance, much of the public—and more than a few school districts—are challenging the path forward. With a constitutional amendment now in the mix, this showdown is only getting started. If you thought high school sports were dramatic before, just wait until the next legislative season.