President Donald Trump has signed an executive order titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports”, effectively barring transgender athletes from participating in girls’ and women’s sports across the United States.
The order, signed on Wednesday, aims to address what Trump described as “the war on women’s sports”, marking the latest development in the ongoing debate over transgender rights in athletics.
The directive tasks the US Department of Education with ensuring nationwide compliance, threatening schools with the loss of federal funding if they violate the new policy.
“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,” Trump said while signing the order.
The scope of the policy extends to international competitions under the jurisdiction of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), prohibiting transgender athletes from competing against females in IOC events hosted in the US. This decision could have significant implications for the upcoming 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
