Politics
NEW: Trump To Ban Transgenders From Women’s Sports
President Donald Trump is set to sign an executive order on Wednesday that will bar biological males from competing in women’s and girls’ sports, a decisive move reinforcing his administration’s commitment to protecting fairness in athletics.
The order, expected to be signed at a White House ceremony in the afternoon, reinforces the president’s broader policy stance that gender is based on biological sex at birth, not identity. This follows another sweeping executive order signed last month, which mandated federal agencies to define sex strictly as male or female across government documentation, including passports and federal prison assignments.
Supporters of the measure argue that allowing biological males to compete in women’s sports creates an unfair advantage and undermines decades of progress under Title IX, the landmark law ensuring gender equality in education and athletics.
While the Biden administration pushed for broad transgender inclusion in sports, Trump’s policy reversal is expected to have significant implications, particularly for federally funded institutions and athletic programs.
During his campaign, Trump discovered that his commitment to “keep men out of women’s sports” appealed to more than just his usual base.
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits sex-based discrimination in any federally funded education program, including athletics. The Biden administration previously interpreted this to include gender identity, allowing transgender athletes to compete based on their gender identity.
The president has broad authority to issue executive orders on matters related to federal agencies and funding. Trump’s order could condition federal funding on compliance with a biological sex-based definition of sports participation.
However, executive orders cannot override existing laws passed by Congress. If challenged, courts would need to determine whether the order aligns with or conflicts with Title IX and other anti-discrimination laws.
Several Republican-led states have already passed laws banning transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports. Trump’s order would create a nationwide policy, overriding conflicting state laws and setting a federal standard.
The timing of the order is notable: Wednesday marks the 39th annual National Girls & Women in Sports Day, a tradition established in 1987 to honor female athletes and encourage young girls to engage in sports.
U.S. Representative Nancy Mace (R-SC) commented on the importance of the executive order, stating, “This executive order restores fairness, upholds Title IX’s original intent, and defends the rights of female athletes who have worked their whole lives to compete at the highest levels.”
Swimmer Riley Gaines tweeted, “Things could’ve been so different. Gender insanity was the final straw that brought a lot of moderates to the side of common sense. Specifically, I believe it was the issue of men in women’s sports.”
“I’ve been living in a state of gratitude everyday since Nov 5th. Praise God,” she finished.
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has announced that it will modify its regulations to align with the new federal law.
According to AP VoteCast, over half of the voters polled expressed the belief that support for transgender rights in government and society has been excessive.
