U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday aimed at excluding transgender girls and women from participating in female sports.
The directive, which Trump claims will restore fairness in women’s sports, has sparked widespread controversy, with critics arguing that it infringes on the rights of a marginalized group of athletes.
The order directs the Department of Justice to ensure that all government agencies enforce a ban on transgender girls and women competing in female school sports under Trump’s interpretation of Title IX, a federal law prohibiting sex discrimination in education. “The war on women’s sports is over,” Trump declared during a signing ceremony attended by about 100 women and girls, many of whom wore sports uniforms. “My administration will not stand by and watch men beat and batter female athletes.”
The order threatens to cut off federal funding for any school that allows transgender women or girls to compete in female-designated sports. However, the policy would affect only a small number of athletes. The president of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) testified in December that fewer than 10 transgender athletes were competing among the 530,000 athletes at 1,100 member schools.
NCAA Response
The NCAA welcomed the executive order, stating that it provides a clear national standard amid “a patchwork of conflicting state laws and court decisions.” In a statement, the NCAA said it would review the order and adjust its policies accordingly. Currently, the NCAA requires transgender women athletes to meet testosterone limits on a sport-by-sport basis.
Public and Political Reaction
The issue has resonated with voters, particularly at Trump’s campaign rallies, where he frequently criticized the inclusion of transgender athletes in female sports. Polls show that a majority of Americans oppose transgender athletes competing in sports that align with their gender identity. Additionally, 25 Republican-led states have passed laws banning transgender girls from participating in girls’ sports.
However, federal courts have generally ruled in favor of allowing transgender girls to compete. For example, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals blocked Idaho’s ban, and other courts have halted similar bans in West Virginia, Arizona, and New Hampshire. In contrast, a federal judge in Kentucky blocked the Biden administration’s 2024 interpretation of Title IX, which sought to protect transgender people from sex-based discrimination.
Broader Implications
Trump’s executive order extends beyond school sports, calling for the U.S. government to deny visas to transgender females seeking to compete in the United States. It also instructs the State Department to pressure the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to revise its policy, which currently allows transgender athletes to compete under guidelines aimed at preventing unfair advantages. A White House official stated that the U.S. would use “all of our authority and our ability” to enforce the order during Olympic events on U.S. soil, including the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Criticism from Advocacy Groups
Human rights organizations and LGBTQ+ advocates have condemned the order. Chris Erchull, a senior staff attorney at GLAD Law, called the ban “absurd,” arguing that interscholastic athletics associations have successfully maintained fairness in sports for years. “We’re talking about a minuscule number of students who aren’t posing any threat to other girls in school sports,” Erchull said. “This is an enormous effort to take away their rights.”
Amnesty International criticized the order as an attempt to “stigmatize and discriminate against LGBTQ+ people.” Meanwhile, Republicans in Congress, including U.S. Representative Tim Walberg, praised the move, accusing the Biden administration of undermining women’s progress to appease its base.
Legal Challenges Ahead
The executive order is likely to face immediate legal challenges, similar to previous Trump administration policies targeting transgender rights. These include attempts to ban transgender individuals from serving in the military and to halt federal support for gender transition healthcare for minors. On his first day in office, Trump also signed an order requiring government employees to refer only to “sex” and not “gender,” declaring sex to be an “immutable biological reality.”
As the debate over transgender participation in sports continues, the executive order underscores the deep political and cultural divides surrounding LGBTQ+ rights in the United States.