MINNEAPOLIS — A male weightlifter in Minnesota has filed suit against USA Powerlifting after it informed him that he was ineligible to compete in the women’s championships because he has a physical advantage.

According to a lawsuit filed by the group Gender Justice, JayCee Cooper, 33, registered to compete in the Minnesota Women’s State Bench Press Championship and the Minnesota Women’s Championship in October 2018.

The following month, he received his competition card and soon provided a letter from his therapist in order to receive a therapeutic use exemption (TUE) for taking Spironolactone.

“Those competitors using medication to treat a legitimate medical condition must examine the banned substance list to determine if the use of such medication will require a TUE. Failure to do so may and probably will result in disciplinary action should the athlete be found using such a substance,” the exemption page of the website outlines.

Cooper soon, however, received an email advising that biological males are ineligible to compete “as females in our static strength sport as it is a direct competitive advantage.” USA Powerlifting then revoked Cooper’s competition card.

In January 2019, the organization outlined in its newsletter that its executive committee had drafted a consensus statement on “transgender” participation in competitions, barring biological males from participating in women’s competitions.

The suit notes that “[a] day after USAPL’s policy announcement, Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar sent a letter to both USAPL and USAPL MN informing them of the Minnesota Human Rights Act’s ban on discrimination against transgender Minnesotans.”

USA Powerlifting stood by its policy, and as Cooper was not able to participate in either competition, he filed a complaint with the state Department of Human Rights.

In December 2020, USA Powerlifting announced that it has created a special division called “MX” open to “all gender identities,” but Cooper said it does not allow for advancement to international championships, and the organization’s enforcement of the therapeutic use exemption might still prevent him from competing.

“It is unclear how USAPL will address TUEs from transgender women who require one, due to the use of Spironolactone or other related medications, in order to be cleared for competition,” the legal challenge states. “Transgender women are still categorically barred from competing in the women’s division.”

He has therefore filed suit alleging discrimination in violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act.

“Defendants … discriminated against JayCee Cooper in business by denying [his] application to compete because [he] is a transgender woman, by subsequently enacting a policy categorically banning transgender women from USAPL competitions, and by organizing, promoting, and executing sanctioned powerlifting meets in Minnesota at which transgender women were categorically barred from competing,” the complaint states.

“As a result of Defendants’ discriminatory conduct, JayCee Cooper suffered from, and continues to suffer from, emotional distress, mental anguish, humiliation, embarrassment, discriminatory injury to [his] individual dignity, economic losses, and other serious harm,” it asserts.

Cooper seeks an injunction as well and compensatory, treble and punitive damages.

USA Powerlifting told NBC News in response to the lawsuit, “We dispute the allegations and look forward to the opportunity to present the facts within the legal system.”

As previously reported, while some view transgenderism and gender confusion as a medical condition, Christians believe the matter is also, at its root, a spiritual issue and a result of mankind’s fallen state.

The Bible teaches that all are born with the Adamic sin nature, having various inherent feelings and inclinations that are contrary to the law of God, and being utterly incapable of changing by themselves.

It is why Jesus came: to “save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).

Scripture outlines that Jesus came to be the propitiation for men’s sins (1 John 2:2; 1 John 4:10), a doctrine in Christianity known as substitutionary atonement, and to save men from the wrath of God for their violations against His law (Romans 4:25, Romans 5:9, Romans 5:16), a doctrine known as justification.

The Bible also teaches about regeneration, as in addition to sparing guilty men from eternal punishment, Christ sent his Holy Spirit to make those who would repent and believe the gospel new creatures in the here and now, with new desires and an ability to do what is pleasing in the sight of God by His indwelling and empowerment (Ezekiel 11:19, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Titus 3:5).

Jesus said that men must be born again, and have their very nature transformed by the Spirit from being in Adam to being in Christ, or they cannot see the Kingdom of God (John 3:3-8).

The late preacher J.C. Ryle also once remarked in regard to men being spiritually dead by nature and in need of the life of Christ:

“I say this is just the state of the vast majority of people around us in spiritual things. God calls to them continually — by mercies, by afflictions, by ministers, by His word — but they do not hear His voice. … The crown and glory of their being, that precious jewel, their immortal soul, is being seized, plundered, and taken away — and they are utterly unconcerned. The devil is carrying them away, day after day, along the broad road that leads to destruction — and they allow him to make them his captives without a struggle.”

“And this is going on everywhere, all around us, among all classes, throughout the length and breadth of the land.”

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