Statement from Brave Trails on Today's Supreme Court Decision
June 2026 Supreme Court Decision Little v. Hecox (Idaho)/West Virginia v. B.P.J. (West Virginia Statement from Brave Trails
Statement from Brave Trails on Today's Supreme Court Decision
Today, many transgender young people are ending Pride Month carrying the weight of today’s Supreme Court decision about their lives.
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld state laws that prohibit transgender girls from participating on girls' school sports teams, making it more difficult to challenge similar restrictions nationwide. For too many young people, this is another reminder that their identities continue to be debated in courtrooms rather than simply celebrated for who they are.
To every transgender and nonbinary young person, we want you to hear this first:
You belong.
You are loved.
You are exactly who you are meant to be.
No court ruling can diminish your worth, your dignity, or the joy you deserve.
As this news arrives in the middle of our summer camp season, our staff is doing what they've always done in difficult moments: showing up.
They're listening. They're answering hard questions honestly. They're creating moments of laughter, connection, and joy, even in the midst of uncertainty. And they're reminding every camper that they are surrounded by a community who sees them, celebrates them, and believes deeply in their future.
Days like today remind us why Brave Trails exists: every young person deserves at least one place where they never have to question whether they belong.
This isn't the first time our campers have arrived at camp carrying the weight of a Supreme Court decision. Last summer, after the Court's ruling allowing states to restrict access to gender-affirming medical care for transgender youth, our community made room for grief, uncertainty, and difficult conversations.
We also remembered something that has always been true: our worth is never determined by legislation.
As Pride Month comes to a close, hundreds of LGBTQ+ young people are gathered at Brave Trails. While much of today’s attention is on the courtroom, ours is somewhere far more enduring: campers laughing around campfires, cheering each other on at the archery range, dancing beneath the trees, singing together at our variety show, discovering their courage through our passion to action program, and realizing—sometimes for the very first time—that they belong.
Pride has never been about waiting for permission to exist.
It has always been about building community, choosing joy in the face of adversity, and believing every generation deserves the freedom to live openly, authentically, and with hope.
Courts can shape laws.
They cannot erase community. They cannot diminish joy. They cannot stop LGBTQ+ young people from becoming the leaders they are meant to be.
To our families: thank you for trusting us with your children.
To our campers: thank you for your courage, your authenticity, and the light you bring to this community every day.
To our supporters and allies: thank you for continuing to stand beside LGBTQ+ youth. Your advocacy, generosity, and unwavering belief in this generation matter now more than ever.
Tomorrow, our campers will wake up, eat breakfast together, make new friends, learn new skills, and continue becoming exactly who they are meant to be. That future is worth protecting, and we will never stop helping build it.
Pride Month may be ending, but our commitment never does. Every day that follows, we'll continue creating spaces where transgender and nonbinary youth—and all LGBTQ+ young people—find belonging, discover their courage, and lead boldly, grounded in their people, place, and passion.
With resolve and gratitude,
