Attorneys general from 24 states are urging the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a lower court ruling and uphold an Arizona law to prohibit biological boys from competing on girls’ sports teams.

The petition comes after a federal appeals court ruled that the law likely violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution.

“Sports teams are divided by sex to begin with to give girls a level playing field so they’re not competing against boys,” South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson said in a news release. “Arizona’s law restricting girls’ sports teams to biological females is just common sense, and it protects girls from competing against bigger, stronger males who identify as females.”

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In addition to Wilson, the attorneys general supporting the petition are those from Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wyoming.

The petition notes that these states have laws similar to Arizona’s that restrict girls’ sports to biological females.

It also argues that the Equal Protection Clause does not prohibit states from offering separate sports teams for men, women, boys and girls.

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The U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023. (Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“In sports, equal access means a level playing field,” the attorneys general write in their brief. “And a level playing field usually means sports teams divided by sex so that girls can compete against other girls.”

“Basing the distinction on biology rather than gender identity makes sense because it is the differences in biology—not gender identity—that call for separate teams in the first place: Whatever their gender identity, biological males are, on average, stronger and faster than biological females. If those average physical differences did not matter, there would be no need to segregate sports teams at all,” they continued.

The petition argues that the Equal Protection Clause does not prohibit states from offering separate sports teams for men, women, boys and girls. (ALLISON DINNER/AFP via Getty Images)

The attorneys general are asking the high court to “make it clear that the Constitution does not prohibit states from saving women’s sports from unfair competition and providing meaningful athletic opportunities for girls and women,” according to Wilson’s news release.

Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson spent over a decade in office as a Democrat before making a significant political shift. 

Just over a year ago, he announced his decision to join the Republican Party. 

Johnson wrote in a Fox News op-ed that his switch should have been a wake-up call for Democrats ahead of the 2024 election. 

“It turns out I was kind of a canary in the coal mine, right? I didn’t think I was going to be some anomaly that everyone needed to worry about,” Johnson told “Fox & Friends” co-host Lawrence Jones, Wednesday. 

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“I thought I was going to be a harbinger of things to come. And it turns out, that was exactly right.” 

Dallas is a predominantly blue area, voting for President Joe Biden in 2020 by over half. With Johnson’s change, Dallas became the largest U.S. city led by a Republican mayor. 

He joined Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker as one of only two Republican mayors leading a major Texas city. Johnson attributes this to a broader realignment in cultural dynamics across the country, a change he credits to President-elect Trump.

“Donald Trump has given the Republican Party a gift,” Johnson explained. “He has caused parts of the Democratic coalition, that people thought would never, ever consider voting Republican, to do exactly that.”

One of the key factors behind Trump’s resounding victory in 2024 was his surge in support from minority groups, particularly Hispanic voters. In Texas, Republicans experienced a 28% increase in Latino support compared to the 2020 election.

Trump also made inroads with Black voters and young voters, significantly narrowing traditional Democratic advantages.

“I think now is an opportunity for the Republican Party to double down on his message,” said Johnson, describing Trump’s focus as one aimed at revitalizing U.S. cities.

“An agenda for urban America. That is what these groups are hoping that’s going to happen now,” Johnson explained. 

“They believe that Donald Trump, our president-elect, can actually deliver on the promise of making our cities great again. And he can, and I think he will.” 

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According to Fox News’ voter analysis of the 2024 election, Republican voters were most driven by concerns over the economy, immigration, and crime — issues Johnson argues have been neglected under Democratic leadership.

“All the things that people have been asking for generations from our cities that have under Democratic leadership … failed to deliver on those things.”

A vocal advocate for law enforcement funding, lower taxes, and a pro-business environment, Johnson has made his policy priorities clear and says he’d like to help the president-elect enact his agenda over the next four years.

“The Republican Party shouldn’t give up on our cities. We need to actually invest in them and focus on them. And I think that’s what he’s going to do and I want to help him do that.”