Donald Trump to ban trans athletes from women’s sports in major Title IX shake-up

Donald Trump is to sign an executive order on Wednesday to ban transgender women from competing in women’s sports. The order will redefine how the federal government interprets Title IX—a landmark law promoting gender equity in education and sports—restricting participation based solely on biological sex assigned at birth.

The timing of the announcement is significant, coinciding with National Girls and Women in Sports Day. According to Trump, this move aims to "restore fairness" in women’s sports and protect female athletes. "This is about ensuring that women who’ve trained for years have a level playing field," said Republican US Representative Nancy Mace, as quoted by the Associated Press.

This executive order is part of a broader shift in how Trump’s second administration handles transgender rights. On his first day back in office, Trump issued an order requiring federal agencies to define gender strictly as male or female, as reflected on official documents.


During his campaign, Trump’s rhetoric about keeping "men out of women’s sports" resonated with many voters, even across traditional party lines. His administration’s interpretation of Title IX now follows that stance.

According to the Associated Press, reports show that cases of transgender athletes competing are rare. For example, when Utah lawmakers banned transgender athletes in schools, only one transgender girl was playing in K-12 sports statewide. Despite this, states with Republican-led governments have passed similar restrictions, challenging federal policies in court.