A trans female weightlifter files a lawsuit against the USA Powerlifting organization in the Minnesota Supreme Court.

On Tuesday, the Minnesota Supreme Court heard opening arguments in a yearslong case involving a transgender female powerlifter.

Last year, a district court ruled that the organization discriminated against Cooper, prompting a mandate for the federation to stop engaging in any unfair discriminatory practices based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

On Tuesday, the court questioned Ansis Viksnins, the attorney for USA Powerlifting, regarding the non-discriminatory nature of banning Cooper from women's competition.

Viksnins responded it was not "based on gender identity."

The court examined whether the policy would be fair if it were based on race or religion, using a hypothetical scenario involving Catholics as better bowlers, but the comparison was not allowed.

Viksnins stated that while there is no legitimate, nondiscriminatory reason for separation based on religion, national origin, or race, there is a legitimate, nondiscriminatory reason for treating transgender or women differently.

"The objective was to categorize biological males and have them compete against each other, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation. The goal was to highlight three competitors based on age, weight, and sex."

In 2021, the federation introduced an "open" category to cater to all gender identities, as reported by FOX 9 in Minnesota.

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The court found that transgender competitors face competitive disadvantages such as increased risk of depression and suicide, lack of access to coaching and practice facilities, or other performance suppression, which helped Cooper win the discrimination case.

At the 2022 AMP Classic Open Nationals in Texas, Cooper finished third out of three competitors in the division, as per Open Powerlifting.

Planet Chronicle' Jamie Joseph contributed to this report.

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