President Donald Trump has signed an executive order titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” which prohibits transgender women from participating in women’s sports across educational institutions in the United States.
The president signed the order on February 5, 2025.
The order mandates that schools receiving federal funding must ensure that only individuals assigned female at birth compete in women’s sports teams.
Non-compliance could result in investigations for Title IX violations and potential loss of federal funding.
The executive order declares that it is the policy of the United States to oppose male competitive participation in women’s sports, citing concerns over safety, fairness, dignity, and truth.
It directs the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy to collaborate with major athletic organizations, governing bodies, and female athletes affected by inclusive policies to promote fair and safe practices in women’s sports.
This action aligns with broader efforts by the administration and Republican lawmakers to limit recognition and rights of transgender individuals in various sectors.
Earlier, President Trump signed an executive action defining sex strictly as male or female and prohibiting federal funding for programs related to gender ideology.
Additionally, the House of Representatives passed a bill aiming to ban transgender women from competing in women’s sports nationwide.
Advocacy groups have expressed strong opposition to the executive order.
Fatima Goss Graves, President and CEO of the National Women’s Law Center, stated that transgender students do not pose a threat in sports and deserve the same opportunities as their peers.
She criticized the order as harmful to all students and indicative of a disturbing obsession with controlling the bodies and minds of the nation’s youth.
Under this order, the Department of Education is instructed to prioritize Title IX enforcement actions against educational institutions that allow transgender women to participate in women’s sports.
Schools found in violation may face investigations and risk losing federal funding. Title IX prohibits sex-based discrimination in federally funded education programs, and this order reinterprets its application concerning transgender athletes.
