Explained: Trump’s Policy on Transgender Athletes and Its Effect on Girls’ Sports.

Trump’s Executive Order on Transgender Athletes: What It Means for Women’s Sports and Beyond

February 5, 2025, former President Donald Trump signed an executive order called “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports.” On the same day as National Girls & Women in Sports Day (NGWSD), a day to promote gender equality in sports. The order says schools, colleges and universities that get federal funding must enforce sex specific sports categories based on biological sex at birth—so transgender women and girls can’t compete in female sports.

This has sparked big debates about fairness, inclusivity and LGBTQ+ rights. Here’s what I’m going to tell you.

Understanding the Executive Order

What’s the Order Say?

What Does It Say?

The order says:

• Transgender women and girls can’t compete in female sports.
• Schools or institutions that allow that will lose federal funding.
• Title IX is reinterpreted to mean biological sex over gender identity.

This is a big change from how Title IX has been interpreted lately which had expanded protections to include transgender students.

What About Title IX?

Title IX was passed in 1972 to ensure equal opportunities for all genders in federally funded education programs. Now “sex” means biological sex at birth. For many this feels like a step backward in the fight for inclusivity and equity in education and sports.

National Girls & Women in Sports Day (NGWSD)

National Girls & Women in Sports Day celebrates female athletes and encourages young girls to play sports. But with Trump’s order coming on NGWSD 2025, the focus shifted from celebrating to who is a “female athlete.”

• Advocacy groups see the order as opposite of the spirit of NGWSD which is to uplift all girls and women.
• Supporters say it safeguards the playing field for biological females so competition is fair.

Reactions to the Order

What Supporters Are Saying?

• Protects women’s sports from biological males dominating female competitions.
• More biological females will participate since they may not otherwise.
• Enforces traditional sex based categories in sports.

What Critics Are Saying

• Discriminates against transgender people, their civil rights.
• Misinterprets Title IX, rolls back years of progress on gender.
• Will be challenged in court by LGBTQ+ groups and civil rights organizations.

Legal Challenges & Future Implications

Not surprisingly, this has caused outrage—and lawsuits are already being filed. Here’s what we can expect:

Arguments Against the Order

1. Violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.
2. Contradicts modern interpretations of Title IX that support gender identity protections.
3. Sets a precedent that could impact other areas of policy beyond sports.

Will the Order Be Overturned?

Experts predict:

• Courts will block the order during litigation.
• A future president will rescind or modify it.
• States opposing the order will create conflicting laws and more litigation.

FAQs About Trump’s Executive Order

Q1: Does this order ban all transgender athletes?
No. It only targets transgender women and girls in female sports. Transgender men in men’s sports are unaffected.

Q2: Can schools lose funding if they don’t comply?
Yes. Federally funded schools will lose aid if they allow transgender participation in women’s sports.

Q3: How will this affect college and high school sports?
NCAA and high school federations will need to update policies to match federal requirements. Some states will resist and create state vs. federal conflicts.

Q4: What do the major sports organizations say?
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and NCAA haven’t commented yet. The Women’s Sports Foundation and ACLU are opposed to the order and will challenge it in court.

Q5: Will transgender athletes be able to compete at all?
They may still compete in open categories or men’s divisions but not in female categories.