US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday to ban transgender athletes from participating in girls’ and women’s sports unless they were assigned female at birth, The New York Times reported. He also announced plans to withhold federal funding from high schools and colleges that fail to comply with the new directive.
“From now on, women’s sports will be only for women,” Trump declared during a speech in the White House East Room. “The war on women’s sports is over.”
The executive order, titled ‘Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,’ highlights that many educational institutions and athletic associations have permitted men to compete in women’s sports in recent years. The order argues that “ignoring fundamental biological truths” between the sexes deprives women and girls of equal access to educational and athletic opportunities.
The order further asserts that this policy is “demeaning, unfair, and dangerous to women and girls,” denying them a fair chance to participate and succeed in competitive sports. It also references Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, which mandates that educational institutions receiving federal funds must provide women equal opportunities to participate in sports.
“The United States will rescind all funds from educational programs that deprive women and girls of fair athletic opportunities, which leads to their endangerment, humiliation, and silencing. This policy also opposes male participation in women’s sports due to concerns over safety, fairness, dignity, and truth,” the order reads.
This new order builds upon an earlier directive Trump signed on January 20, which defined sex as only male or female and required federal policies and government-issued IDs to reflect this classification.
Trump, along with other conservative leaders, has frequently raised concerns about transgender athletes competing in women’s sports as a major election issue. So far, 25 states have passed laws banning transgender athletes from participating in girls’ sports at the high school and youth levels, according to The New York Times.
Recently, the White House also issued an executive order banning federal funding or support for medical procedures intended to transition a child’s sex, citing concerns about their long-term effects. The order described such medical interventions as “chemical and surgical mutilation,” asserting that they could result in permanent sterilization and lifelong health complications for affected children.
