US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order prohibiting transgender women from competing in female sports categories, a move that has sparked debate between advocates for fairness in competition and LGBTQ+ rights groups.
The order, which takes immediate effect, directs the Department of Education to oversee compliance and investigate high schools suspected of violating the policy.
According to White House officials, the measure primarily targets high school, collegiate, and grassroots sports.
Republicans argue that the order ensures fairness in women’s sports, but LGBTQ+ advocacy groups and human rights organizations have condemned it as discriminatory.
Several sports governing bodies, including those for swimming, athletics, and golf, have already restricted transgender women from elite-level female competitions if they have undergone male puberty.
The executive order also seeks to revise the Biden administration’s stance, which had extended federal protections to LGBTQ+ students under Title IX.
“If you let men take over women’s sports teams or invade your locker rooms, you will be investigated for violations of Title IX and risk your federal funding,” Trump said, reaffirming his administration’s position.
Additionally, the White House intends to engage organizations such as the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) in discussions with female athletes and their families.
An administration official further stated that the US would take steps to prevent transgender athletes from competing in International Olympic Committee (IOC) events held in the country, including the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Trump emphasized that his administration “will not stand by and watch men beat and batter female athletes” during the LA Games.
He also announced plans to deny visas to transgender athletes seeking to compete in Olympic events hosted on US soil, directing the Secretary of Homeland Security to reject visa applications from individuals “attempting to fraudulently enter the United States while identifying themselves as women athletes.”
Responding to the order, the IOC issued a statement to the BBC, saying, “Working with the respective International Sports Federations, the IOC will continue to explain and discuss the various topics with the relevant authorities.”
White House officials described the policy as widely supported by Americans and crucial to maintaining fairness and safety in women’s sports.
However, Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign, criticized the move, stating it “exposes young people to harassment and discrimination, emboldening people to question the gender of kids who don’t fit a narrow view of how they’re supposed to dress or look.”
“For so many students, sports are about finding somewhere to belong,” Robinson added. “Not partisan policies that make life harder for them.”
According to research from the UCLA Williams Institute, less than 1% of the US population over the age of 13 identifies as transgender, with an even smaller percentage participating in sports.
This order follows Trump’s earlier executive action on January 20, his first day in office, which mandated the federal government to officially define sex strictly as male or female.
Source-BBC
