Trump signs order banning transgender athletes from women's sports
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Wednesday banning transgender athletes from competing in women's sports, marking a significant policy shift.
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"The war on women's sports is over," President Trump said to cheers from supporters and female athletes.
Trump's order aims to prevent individuals assigned male at birth from participating in women's or girls' sports at schools and universities that receive federal funding.
"We are putting every school receiving taxpayer dollars on notice that if you let men take over women's sports teams or invade your locker rooms, you will be investigated for violations of Title IX and risk your federal funding. There will be no federal funding," Trump said.
The Trump administration bases this action on its interpretation of Title IX, a law addressing gender equity in athletics.
Shane Diamond, the director of communications and advocacy at GLAAD, criticized the order.
"This is another attempt through policy to legislate transgender people out of existence. We know the power of sport and the lifesaving power of sport, and every young person should have the opportunity to participate in sports," Diamond said.
When asked about concerns from human rights groups that the order could expose kids to discrimination, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responded.
"I think kids have already been exposed to discrimination, especially young women and girls who have been forced to shower in locker rooms with biological men, who have been forced to compete on playing fields with biological men," Leavitt said.
The White House says it will enforce this order, which follows other actions by Trump defining genders federally as only male or female and halting federal support for gender-affirming care for people under 19.
