This fall, the U.S. Supreme Court takes up the case of R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes v. EEOC. The case involves the contours of Title VII's prohibition on sex discrimination in employment, but will have broad implications for women and girls who participate in competitive sports.

The specific dispute before the high court arose in 2013, when a funeral home employee known as Anthony Stephens told the company's owner that, after scheduled time off, he would return to work as Aimee Stephens and use female pronouns. The owner of the funeral home decided to terminate his professional relationship with Stephens.

Stephens sued, alleging that the funeral home violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act's prohibition on sex-based discrimination. A lower court initially held that Stephens could not sue on the basis of transgender status because the statute does not identify transgender status or gender identity as a protected class. The  U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit reversed, holding that the employee's decision to fire Stephens was "because of sex" and, therefore, unlawful.