On Wednesday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order prohibiting transgender women and girls from competing in female sports categories.
Trump green lights ban on transgenders in sports
The order, titled Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports, aims to enforce gender-based competition based on sex assigned at birth.
The executive order declares that federal funding will be withdrawn from educational institutions that allow transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports. It states:
“It is the policy of the United States to rescind all funds from educational programs that deprive women and girls of fair athletic opportunities, which results in the endangerment, humiliation, and silencing of women and girls and deprives them of privacy.”
The policy further directs federal agencies to ensure compliance by preventing individuals identified as male at birth from competing in women’s categories.
Trump made it clear that the order is designed to “protect the tradition of female athletics” and prevent what he described as unfair advantages in competition.
“We will defend the proud tradition of female athletes, and we will not allow men to beat up, injure, and cheat our women and our girls. From now on, women’s sports will be only for women,” Trump stated.
What it means for global sports
The executive order is expected to face legal challenges, as civil rights groups and advocacy organisations push back against the measure.
Lawsuits have already been filed against some of Trump’s other gender-related executive orders, and this latest directive is likely to spark further legal battles.
In response to the order, the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) issued a statement affirming that it would follow legal guidance on gender participation in sports.
“The MIAA will continue to follow the law, as well as the advice of counsel, as it pertains to issues of gender and participation,” the organisation stated.
Beyond the domestic implications, Trump’s executive order also seeks to influence international sports policies.
It directs the secretary of state to lobby the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to implement a similar ban on transgender athletes at the global level. The order also outlines plans for discussions with private sports organisations to encourage them to adopt policies aligning with the ban.
The move has ignited strong reactions across the sports and political landscape, with supporters arguing that it preserves fairness in competition and opponents calling it discriminatory and a rollback of transgender rights.
