**FIRST ON FOX:** The YMCA is facing renewed pressure to change its policies on transgender access to sex-segregated locker rooms, sports teams and overnight accommodations after the American Parents Coalition (APC) argued that the organization's rules conflict with recent Supreme Court rulings on Title IX. The coalition argued that the nonprofit, which operates about 2,600 locations nationwide and receives more than $600 million annually in government funding, must update its policies to align with the Supreme Court's interpretation of Title IX because it accepts taxpayer funding. In a letter sent this week to YMCA President and CEO Suzanne McCormick and the organization's board of directors, the APC urged the organization to review its policies governing sports, restrooms, locker rooms and overnight accommodations, following the Supreme Court's June 30 decisions in West Virginia v. Board of Education. B.P.J. and Little v. Hecox. In a unanimous decision on the Title IX issue and split 6-3 on constitutional grounds, the Supreme Court ruled that states can limit women's and girls' sports to biological females and that the use of the word 'sex' in Title IX refers to biological sex. "The Supreme Court has drawn an unmistakable line in reaffirming that Title IX protections are rooted in biological sex," American Parents Coalition Executive Director Alleigh Marré said in a statement. "The YMCA has ignored parents' concerns for far too long, maintaining policies that undermine the privacy, safety, and fairness that Title IX was enacted to protect. The Court's decisions should serve as a wake-up call to all federally funded institutions."
The coalition is calling on YMCA leadership to revoke policies that allow biological males to participate in women's sports or access women-only restrooms, locker rooms and overnight accommodations, publish updated policies that recognize sex-based protections for women and girls, and publicly affirm the organization's commitment to complying with Title IX. "The Supreme Court has now made clear that biological sex is the legally operative distinction under Title IX," the letter states. "The YMCA faces a choice. It can restore policies that protect women and girls, rebuild parental trust, and align its practices with the law as interpreted by the nation's highest court."
The letter marks the latest step in the APC's year-long campaign against the YMCA's transgender inclusion policies. Last year, the organization filed Title IX complaints with the Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, and Housing and Urban Development, alleging that the YMCA's policies violated federal civil rights law. It also called on Congress to investigate the YMCA's use of federal funding. The APC argues that while recent Supreme Court rulings have focused on women's sports, the Court's reasoning extends to other sex-segregated spaces. The group contends that YMCA policies allowing individuals to use restrooms, locker rooms, overnight accommodations, and participate in sports teams consistent with their gender identity are inconsistent with the Court's interpretation of Title IX. The coalition also alleges that the YMCA removed or revised webpages that described some of its gender identity policies after receiving public scrutiny, while leaving the underlying policies unchanged. The APC further states that some YMCA camps continue to allow counselors to stay in cabins that correspond to their gender identity rather than biological sex. A review by Fox News Digital found several local YMCA associations, including the YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit, the Lakeland Hills YMCA in New Jersey and the Gateway Region YMCA, maintain policies allowing members to use restrooms and locker rooms that match their gender identity. The renewed criticism comes a month after a controversy at a San Francisco YMCA drew national attention. After months of complaints from some members regarding a transgender woman using the women's locker room at the Stonestown branch, the facility adopted updated locker room guidelines emphasizing that nudity should be "discreet, limited and brief" while instructing members to respect the privacy and personal space of others. The revised rules addressed behavior within the locker room, but did not change the YMCA's policy of allowing transgender members to access facilities consistent with their gender identity. The YMCA did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment on the APC's allegations or whether it plans to review its policies following the Supreme Court rulings.