West Virginia has become the subject of a federal lawsuit after the state's new anti-trans sports bill was signed into law.

The governor of West Virginia, Republican Jim Justice, signed the controversial legislation into law in May in spite of the backlash similar laws have received in other states.

Per CNN, civil rights groups sued the state on Wednesday, June 2, arguing in court documents that a ban on transgender women and girls in sports unconstitutionally "discriminates on the basis of sex and transgender status."

The suit objects to a measure that bans transgender girls and women in the state from playing on sports teams at "any public secondary school or state institution of higher education."

The American Civil Liberties Union of West Virginia, LGBTQ advocacy group Lambda Legal and Cooley LLP filed the lawsuit on behalf of an 11-year-old trans girl named Becky Pepper-Jackson.

[[imagecaption|| Credit: REUTERS / Alamy]]

As per the lawsuit, Becky, an elementary school student, was on the cheerleading team at her school and "wants to continue playing sports in middle school by participating on the girls' cross country and track teams".

Under the new law, the youngster can legally be excluded from playing sports in middle school "simply because she is transgender".

While Becky is referred to as B.P.J. in the lawsuit, she has been named and quoted in an ACLU press release.

She said in the release, per CNN: "I just want to run, I come from a family of runners. I know how hurtful a law like this is to all kids like me who just want to play sports with their classmates, and I'm doing this for them. Trans kids deserve better."

The lawsuit is seeking declaratory and injunctive relief to give Becky a chance "to experience the benefits of athletic participation consistent with her gender identity and without being singled out from other girls for different treatment simply because she is transgender."

"We look forward to showing in court that this law should be enjoined as unlawful and that Becky should have the same opportunity to play sports as any other child," said Kathleen Hartnett of Cooley LLP, per the outlet.

Featured image credit: West Virginia Governor / Alamy

West Virginia hit with lawsuit by civil rights groups over new anti-trans sports bill