President Donald Trump is set to sign an executive order barring transgender women from competing in female sports categories, White House officials confirmed Wednesday.
The order will establish legal guidance and regulations while directing the Department of Education to investigate high schools suspected of non-compliance.
Republicans argue the measure ensures fairness in sports, while LGBTQ+ advocacy groups and human rights organizations condemn it as discriminatory.
The directive, expected to be signed Wednesday, will primarily apply to high school, university, and grassroots sports. Several major sports governing bodies, including those overseeing swimming, athletics, and golf, have already implemented restrictions on transgender women competing in female categories if they have undergone male puberty.
According to White House officials, the order will empower the Department of Education to oversee how schools enforce Title IX, the federal law prohibiting sex discrimination in education programs receiving government funding.
An administration official stated that the order will overturn the Biden administration’s stance, which in April of last year affirmed protections for LGBTQ+ students under federal law but did not provide specific guidance on transgender athletes.
Additionally, the White House plans to invite sports organizations, including the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), to discuss concerns with female athletes and their parents.
Officials also signaled the U.S. will take steps to prevent transgender athletes from competing against women in International Olympic Committee events held on American soil.
White House representatives described the policy as widely supported by Americans, framing it as essential for ensuring “fairness” and addressing safety concerns in women’s sports.
Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson criticized the order, arguing it subjects young athletes to harassment and discrimination.
“This policy emboldens people to question the gender of kids who don’t fit a narrow view of how they should dress or look,” Robinson said in a statement. “For so many students, sports are about finding somewhere to belong—not partisan policies that make life harder for them.”
A study by the UCLA Williams Institute found that less than 1% of Americans over the age of 13 identify as transgender, with an even smaller percentage participating in sports.
On his first day in office, January 20, Trump signed a separate order directing the federal government to define sex strictly as male or female.
