Trump Signs Executive Order Banning Transgender Women from Female Sports
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order barring transgender women from participating in female sports. The order, signed Wednesday, directs the Department of Justice to enforce the ban across all government agencies and threatens to cut federal funding for schools that allow trans women and girls to compete in female sports.
“The war on women's sports is over,” Trump said at the signing ceremony, surrounded by female athletes. “My administration will not stand by and watch men beat and batter female athletes.” He also criticized policies that allow transgender women to compete, saying they undermine fairness and safety in sports.
The order extends beyond school and college athletics, and directs U.S. officials to push international sporting organizations, including the International Olympic Committee (IOC), to adopt sex-based categories. Trump stated he would deny visas for transgender athletes attempting to compete in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. “We want them to change everything having to do with the Olympics,” he said.
The policy is expected to face legal challenges. While 25 Republican-led states have already passed similar bans, federal courts have ruled in favor of transgender athletes in some cases, blocking bans in Idaho, West Virginia, and Arizona. However, a judge in Kentucky recently halted the Biden administration’s attempt to extend Title IX protections to transgender students.
The NCAA, which currently has a policy requiring transgender women to meet testosterone limits on a sport-by-sport basis, welcomed the order for providing a “clear, national standard” amid conflicting state laws. “The NCAA Board of Governors is reviewing the executive order and will take necessary steps to align NCAA policy in the coming days,” the organization said in a statement.
LGBTQ advocacy groups condemned the decision. The Human Rights Campaign warned the order would expose young athletes to discrimination and harassment, while Athlete Ally stated it was “saddened that trans youth will “no longer be able to know the joy of playing sports as their full and authentic selves.”
Critics also pointed out that the number of transgender athletes is very small. NCAA President Charlie Baker told a Senate panel in December that fewer than 10 transgender athletes were competing among the 530,000 in collegiate sports. A UCLA study found that less than 1% of Americans over 13 identify as transgender, with an even smaller number participating in sports.
Trump has signed several executive orders restricting transgender rights since taking office in January. These include banning transgender people from serving in the military and halting federal support for gender-affirming care for minors. On his first day in office, he ordered government employees to refer only to "sex" and not "gender," declaring sex to be an “immutable biological reality.”
While supporters argue the new sports policy ensures fairness for female athletes, LGBTQ advocates see it as an attempt to marginalize an already vulnerable group. Legal battles over the order are expected in the coming months.
Read the executive order here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/keeping-men-out-of-womens-sports/
