The U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Tuesday that upheld state restrictions on transgender students' sports participation sparked celebrations among Gen Z conservative women, who have emerged as a powerful force within the MAGA movement. Penny Young Nance, CEO of Concerned Women for America, told the gathering on the court steps: 'The court agrees with us that a man cannot be a woman.' She added, 'The decision will affect the law across the country. We will have a better opportunity to protect young women.'
Gen Z Women at the Forefront of Anti-Trans Legislation
Behind every state law restricting transgender athletes, young women have been among the most vocal supporters. According to sociologists Kelsy Burke and Katie Gaddini, who have studied conservative women's activism for nearly a decade, Gen Z conservative women are fewer in numbers than their male counterparts but no less consequential. They organize at state and national legislatures, build social media followings, staff rightwing advocacy groups, and enact real gains for the Republican party.
The ruling aligns with the broader Republican agenda to strip transgender people, especially youth, of rights. Since 2020, when Idaho became the first state to ban transgender girls from school sports, young rightwing women have helped pass similar laws in more than two dozen states, insisting that conservatives are the true defenders of Title IX.
Feminist Language Co-opted for Anti-Trans Activism
Unlike the 1970s antifeminist Phyllis Schlafly, who opposed Title IX by claiming 'men like to play sports far more than women do,' today's young conservative women use the language of feminism. They invoke what they believe are women's innate differences from men but frame it as protecting women's rights. This aligns with 'terf' (trans exclusionary radical feminist) ideology, rooted in second-wave feminism.
Conservatives have embraced feminists who share their views on trans issues to make the position appear popular and non-partisan. However, national data suggests the vast majority of self-identified feminists strongly support transgender rights. Gen Z conservative women play a key role in making the MAGA movement seem trendy, modern, and feminist.
Activists Driven by Personal Conviction
In interviews, activists like Caitlyn, a South Carolina college student, said: 'If identifying as feminist is you believe that men and women are different but still should be equal in law, to that I say of course.' Olivia, a 24-year-old social media influencer in California, shifted her focus to trans athletes after the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade in 2022. 'This is a direct threat for women in sports,' Olivia said. 'It is taking a step back in history by allowing men into our sports.'
These activists receive support from well-funded rightwing organizations like TPUSA and Young Women for America, which have made anti-trans legislation a top priority. National groups routinely fly college female athletes to testify before state legislatures.
Reshaping Conservatism and Political Landscape
Gen Z women are reshaping conservatism, breaking from the Schlafly-era insistence on domesticity and realigning it with women's professional ambition, public politics, and a feminist vocabulary repurposed for new ends. Public opinion polls show that both Republicans and Democrats are more opposed to trans rights today than in 2020, and transgender politics have become a wedge issue dividing Democratic leaders.
By co-opting feminist language, young conservative women drain the left of a perennial strength. As Kamala Harris's defeat in 2024 showed, Democrats no longer have cornered the market on 'women's issues.' Just a month after Trump's second inauguration, Young Women for America posted on Instagram: 'The future is female under Trump.' The Supreme Court ruling reinforces their belief that the administration speaks the same language of female empowerment.
Whatever comes next in the MAGA movement, Gen Z women will be at the center. The country's conservative future is indeed female, narrowly defined by the courts thanks to their efforts.
