By Redaccion
Redaccion@latinocc.com
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Wednesday aimed at barring transgender athletes from competing in girls’ and women’s sports, a move that is expected to spark legal challenges and further intensify the national debate over transgender rights.
The order, titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” directs federal agencies to enforce Title IX in alignment with the administration’s stance, defining “sex” as the gender assigned at birth. It grants the Education Department the authority to withhold federal funding from schools that allow transgender athletes to compete in female sports.
“With this executive order, the war on women’s sports is over,” Trump declared at a signing ceremony in the East Room, flanked by Republican lawmakers and female athletes, including former collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines, a vocal advocate for banning transgender participation in women’s sports.
Immediate Enforcement and Broader Impact
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the order “upholds the promise of Title IX” and mandates “immediate action, including enforcement measures against schools and athletic associations” that fail to comply. The timing of the order coincided with National Girls and Women in Sports Day.
Trump has repeatedly made transgender issues a focal point of his administration, arguing that protections for transgender individuals have gone too far. AP VoteCast surveys indicate that more than half of voters believe support for transgender rights has been excessive, a sentiment Trump tapped into during his campaign.
The executive order provides clarity on his administration’s position, authorizing the Education Department to penalize institutions that fail to comply. Schools that allow transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports could face loss of federal funding.
Potential Legal and Olympic Implications
The order also has international ramifications. Trump issued a warning to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) ahead of the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, stating that he had instructed Secretary of State Marco Rubio to convey that the U.S. “categorically rejects transgender lunacy” and expects changes to Olympic policies on transgender participation.
Currently, the IOC defers transgender participation rules to individual sports federations, but that could shift when a new president replaces the retiring Thomas Bach in March. Sebastian Coe, a former Olympic champion and head of World Athletics, is among the candidates and has advocated for restricting female sports to cisgender women.
Additionally, Trump announced that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem would deny visas to “men fraudulently identifying as women athletes” attempting to enter the U.S. for the Olympics.
The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee and organizers of the 2028 Games did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Backlash and Legal Challenges
The order has drawn swift condemnation from transgender rights advocates and civil rights organizations.
“Contrary to what the president wants you to believe, trans students do not pose threats to sports, schools, or this country,” said Fatima Goss Graves, president and CEO of the National Women’s Law Center. “They deserve the same opportunities as their peers to learn, play, and grow up in safe environments.”
Legal challenges are expected. The Trump administration has previously faced lawsuits over transgender policies, including restrictions on gender-affirming care, military service, and bathroom access. Civil rights attorneys argue that aspects of Trump’s orders may violate federal law and constitutional protections.
One key legal question is whether Trump has the authority to mandate changes to NCAA policies. NCAA President Charlie Baker previously told Republican senators that the organization would follow federal law. The NCAA has yet to comment on the order.
The executive order comes one day after three former teammates of transgender swimmer Lia Thomas filed a lawsuit against the NCAA, Ivy League, Harvard, and Penn, accusing them of violating Title IX by allowing Thomas to compete. The case echoes previous lawsuits filed by Riley Gaines and others, alleging that the inclusion of transgender athletes in women’s sports undermines fairness.
With court battles looming, Trump’s latest move ensures that the debate over transgender participation in sports will remain a contentious issue leading up to the 2028 Olympics and beyond.
