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Washington, D.C. – President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to prevent transgender athletes from competing in girls’ and women’s sports. The order, signed Wednesday, aims to cut federal funding to educational institutions that allow trans women and girls to participate in female sports or use women’s locker rooms.
The new directive also calls on federal agencies to promote sex-based categories in sports at international organizations. It further urges collaboration with key sports bodies to create policies that ensure fairness and safety for female athletes.
“We’re putting every school on notice: if you let men take over women’s sports teams or invade women’s locker rooms, you will face investigations and risk losing federal funding,” Trump stated. He referenced Title IX, a 1972 law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in education.
Trump declared that the “war on women’s sports” was over, and he vowed that his administration would protect female athletes from being outcompeted by men.
“We are not going to stand by and watch men beat and batter female athletes,” he said. “This ends now, and no one will stop it. When I speak, we speak with authority.”
Trump also announced plans to push the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to adopt sex-based participation policies before the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. He called on the IOC to address what he described as a “ridiculous” issue.
Transgender women’s participation in sports has sparked significant debate in the U.S., though the number of trans athletes is small. NCAA President Charlie Baker reported in December that fewer than 10 trans athletes compete out of the 520,000 athletes in U.S. college sports.
Recent polling shows increasing public support for restrictions on trans women in sports. A 2023 Gallup poll found that 69% of Americans believe trans athletes should only compete on teams that match their biological sex. This marks a seven-point rise from 2021.
Baker, who supports the executive order, described it as setting a “clear, national standard.” He emphasized that consistent eligibility rules would benefit student-athletes more than conflicting state laws and court decisions. The NCAA plans to review the order and align its policies with the new guidance.
Meanwhile, LGBTQ advocacy groups have criticized the order. Athlete Ally, a group supporting LGBTQ youth, expressed disappointment that transgender youth would no longer be able to participate in sports authentically. The organization criticized the Trump administration’s approach, stating that it often targets marginalized communities.
“We will continue to fight for a future where everyone belongs in sports,” Athlete Ally said in a statement.
GLAAD, a major LGBTQ rights organization, called the executive order “inaccurate and incoherent.” They stated that all women, including trans women, should be allowed to participate in sports and make decisions about their bodies without discrimination.
Trump’s latest executive order is one of several measures he has taken against the rights of transgender people since his inauguration in January 2020. These actions include a proclamation recognizing only two sexes, a ban on transgender people serving openly in the military, and defunding gender transition services for minors.