Maine state lawmaker Laurel Libby has appealed to the US Supreme Court to ensure her voting rights in the state legislature after being censured for her opposition to transgender athletes in girls' sports. The Democratic-controlled statehouse censured Libby and barred her from legislative participation until she recants her statements, a move her attorneys argue disenfranchises her constituents. Libby, who has openly criticized transgender participation in girls' sports, posted on social media about a transgender athlete's success in a Maine high school championship, which drew national attention and controversy. Her application to the Supreme Court follows denials by the lower court and the 1st US Circuit Court of Appeals, emphasizing the unprecedented nature of her voting prohibition in Maine's legislative history. She seeks a ruling from the Supreme Court by May 6, the next scheduled legislative session, to restore her voting rights and representation for her district.

Laurel Libby, a Republican lawmaker from Maine, has been censured and barred from participating in legislative activities due to her opposition to transgender girls competing in girls' sports, following a controversial post on social media.

The statehouse's decision, led by Democrats, prevents Libby from voting or speaking in the legislature until she recants her position, which her attorneys argue disenfranchises her constituents and is unconstitutional.

Libby's social media post criticized a transgender athlete who won a girls' pole vault championship, including naming students and posting their photographs, which sparked national debate and attention.

The refusal to count Libby's vote is unprecedented in Maine's legislative history, with only three other legislators having been censured in the past, none of whom had their voting rights revoked.

Libby's appeal to the US Supreme Court follows rejections by lower courts, and she seeks a decision by May 6 to participate in the upcoming legislative session, highlighting the impact on her district's representation.

Her legal team contends that a legislator's vote represents the will of their district, and excluding her district from representation is akin to unconstitutional redistricting.

The controversy is set against a backdrop of broader national discussions on transgender rights and sports, with legal actions involving federal and state policies, including a lawsuit against Maine by the Justice Department under the Trump administration.