Donald Trump bans trans girls from women's sports in US Schools

President Trump's executive order, titled "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports," has significant implications for transgender athletes in the United States. The order mandates that educational institutions receiving federal funding must enforce sports participation based on students' sex assigned at birth. Non-compliance could result in the withdrawal of federal funds. 

Beyond educational settings, the order extends its reach to international sports competitions. It instructs the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee to prevent transgender women from participating in women's events. Furthermore, it warns the International Olympic Committee that the U.S. may deny visas to transgender athletes aiming to compete in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. 

The executive order has been met with widespread criticism. Advocacy groups, including the National Women's Law Center and GLAAD, have condemned the move, asserting that it discriminates against transgender individuals and infringes upon their rights. Legal experts anticipate challenges to the order's legality and constitutionality, suggesting that it may face significant hurdles in the judicial system. 

In response to the executive order, some institutions are reevaluating their policies. For instance, Harvard University removed its transgender inclusion policy from its athletics website following the announcement, indicating the immediate impact and controversy surrounding the order. 

This development is part of a broader pattern of actions by the Trump administration concerning transgender rights. Earlier in his tenure, President Trump reversed an Obama-era directive that allowed transgender students to use bathrooms corresponding to their gender identity. Additionally, the administration has implemented policies affecting transgender individuals in various sectors, including the military and healthcare. 

The executive order is expected to face legal challenges, with opponents arguing that it violates constitutional protections against discrimination. As the situation evolves, it will be essential to monitor the legal proceedings and their implications for transgender athletes and broader civil rights in the United States.

According to White House officials who briefed reporters on Wednesday morning, this latest order empowers the Department of Education to investigate how schools implement Title IX, a US law that bans sex discrimination in federally funded education programmes.

An administration official said that the executive order will reverse the position of the Biden administration which in April last year said that LGBT students would be protected by federal law, although it did not give specific guidance on transgender athletes.

"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 explained.

Additionally, the White House plans to bring in sporting bodies - such as the National Collegiate Athletics Association, or NCAA - to come to the White House to meet female athletes and their parents to discuss concerns.

The official who discussed the order, said the US would do all it could to prevent transgender athletes from competing against females in International Olympic Committee competitions that take place on US soil.

Ahead of signing the executive order, Trump declared that "the war on women's sports is over", saying that during the LA Games, "my administration will not stand by and watch men beat and batter female athletes."

IOC has been approached for comment.

In a statement, Human Rights Campaign president Kelley Robinson said that the order "exposes young people to harassment and discrimination, emboldening people to question the gender of kids who don't fit a narrow view of how they're supposed to dress or look".

"For so many students, sports are about finding somewhere to belong," Ms Robinson added. "Not partisan policies that make life harder for them."

Less than 1% of the population over the age of 13 in the US are transgender, according to a study by the UCLA Williams Institute, and the number playing sports is smaller.

On Trump's first day in office on 20 January, he signed a separate order calling for the federal government to officially define sex as either being male or female.