President Trump is set to sign an executive order today banning transgender individuals from participating in women’s or girls’ sports competitions. The decision coincides with National Girls and Women in Sports Day in the US.
Throughout his campaign, Trump addressed the issue of transgender participation in women’s sports, promising to prohibit anyone born male from competing in female sports categories.
A Gallup poll in May 2023 revealed that nearly 70% of respondents believe transgender athletes should compete only in sports teams matching their birth gender, an increase from 62% in 2021.
This new order follows a previous one issued on Trump’s first day at the White House, which recognizes only two genders in the US – male and female.
South Carolina Representative Nancy Mace stated that the order restores fairness and upholds the original intent of Title IX, a civil rights law preventing gender-based discrimination in federally funded educational programs or activities, thereby protecting female athletes’ rights to compete at the highest levels.
The participation of transgender athletes in women’s and girls’ sports has been a contentious issue in recent years, often criticized for providing an unfair advantage to those born male.