Trump Signs Executive Order Banning Transgender Athletes from Women’s Sports

In a move that has ignited significant debate, President Donald Trump signed an executive order on February 5, 2025, titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” effectively barring transgender girls and women from participating in female sports categories across educational institutions and competitive platforms.

Announced on National Girls and Women in Sports Day, the executive order directs federal agencies to enforce Title IX—a law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in education—based on gender assigned at birth.

This directive mandates that educational institutions receiving federal funding must prohibit transgender athletes from competing in girls’ and women’s sports teams or risk losing financial support.

At the signing ceremony, President Trump declared, “The war on women’s sports is over,” emphasizing his administration’s commitment to maintaining what he described as fairness in female athletics. He added, “My administration will not stand by and watch men beat and batter female athletes.”

The order also extends its reach to international competitions, with the administration urging the International Olympic Committee to exclude transgender athletes from women’s events.

Plans are underway to deny visas to transgender athletes aiming to compete in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

This executive action has been met with strong opposition from LGBTQ+ advocacy groups and civil rights organizations.

The National Women’s Law Center condemned the order, stating that it “wrongfully targets transgender students,” while GLAAD criticized it as discriminatory and a potential violation of legal protections.

Legal challenges are anticipated as courts assess the order’s legality and constitutionality.

This development is part of a broader series of actions by the Trump administration concerning transgender rights.

Earlier, Executive Order 14168, signed on January 20, 2025, mandated federal agencies to recognize gender strictly based on biological sex assigned at birth, affecting various policies and protections for transgender individuals.

The executive order has sparked a nationwide debate on the inclusion of transgender athletes in sports, balancing concerns of competitive fairness with the rights of transgender individuals to participate in activities aligning with their gender identity.