Trump to Sign Executive Order on Women’s Sports Participation
President Donald Trump is set to sign an executive order on Wednesday aimed at prohibiting biological males from competing in women’s and girls’ sports. This decision signifies a notable shift in the federal government’s approach to transgender individuals and their rights during his current administration.
Reiteration of Gender Definitions
Upon assuming office last month, Trump issued an order defining sex strictly as male or female, with plans to incorporate this interpretation into official documentation, such as passports, and various policies, including federal prison assignments.
Public Support for Gender-Based Sports Policies
During his campaign, Trump discovered that his promise to “keep men out of women’s sports” garnered widespread appeal, cutting across traditional party lines. Recent surveys from AP VoteCast indicate that over half of voters believe the government’s approach to transgender rights has overextended its boundaries.
A Focus on Title IX
Wednesday’s executive order coincides with National Girls and Women in Sports Day and will outline the administration’s interpretation of Title IX, a pivotal civil rights law that champions gender equity in sports and aims to combat sexual harassment in educational institutions.
“This executive order restores fairness, upholds Title IX’s original intent, and defends the rights of female athletes who have dedicated their lives to competing at the highest levels,” remarked Representative Nancy Mace, a Republican from South Carolina.
Shifting Interpretations of Title IX
Each presidential administration has the authority to define Title IX. The contrasting policies of the last two administrations illustrate the ongoing debate. During Trump’s first term, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos implemented a Title IX policy in 2020 that limited the definition of sexual harassment and strengthened due process rights for accused students, directing colleges to investigate only claims reported to specific officials.
In April, the Biden administration reversed DeVos’s policy, introducing its own guidelines to ensure LGBTQ+ students’ rights were upheld under federal law and providing enhanced protections for victims of campus sexual assault. However, this new policy did not explicitly address the participation of transgender athletes, prompting immediate legal challenges from several Republican-led states.
Uncertain Impact on Transgender Athletes
Experts suggest the implications of Trump’s new order on the transgender athlete community are unclear, especially considering the difficulty in estimating the size of this population. “All Trump has to say is, ‘We are going to read the regulation traditionally,’” noted Doriane Lambelet Coleman, a professor at Duke Law School.
This latest move by President Trump highlights ongoing tensions in the discourse surrounding gender and sports, provoking further conversations about fairness and equality in athletic competition.
