Trump Signs Executive Order Banning Transgender Athletes from Women's Sports

Governor Glenn Youngkin of Virginia has expressed support for President Donald Trump’s recent executive order that bars transgender athletes from participating in women's sports. This follows the NCAA's announcement of a new policy aligning with Trump's directive.

In a recent post on Truth Social, Trump declared himself "the president to save women's sports" and celebrated the NCAA's new policy change. He stated, "Due to my Executive Order, which I proudly signed yesterday, the NCAA has officially changed their policy of allowing men in Women's Sports - IT IS NOW BANNED! This is a great day for women and girls across our Country."

Previously, the NCAA had a policy in place since 2010 allowing transgender women who underwent testosterone suppression to compete in women's events. The updated NCAA policy explicitly states, "A student-athlete assigned male at birth may not compete on a women's team."

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt indicated that Trump's executive order aims to leverage pressure on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and NCAA to adopt similar bans.

At the signing ceremony, Trump announced that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem would deny visa applications for transgender women seeking to compete in the 2028 Olympics. Trump explained, "I will instruct Noem to deny any and all visa applications made by men attempting to fraudulently enter the United States while identifying themselves as women athletes."

The topic of gender eligibility has stirred controversy recently, particularly ahead of the Paris Olympics. Notably, boxers Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting secured gold medals in women's boxing, despite prior disqualifications related to gender tests. The IOC has publicly supported them, asserting their biological female status.

With a leadership change forthcoming in the IOC, former British Olympian Sebastian Coe, a candidate for the presidency, has indicated his intention to uphold strict policies against transgender participation in women's events. Coe's organization, World Athletics, has tightened regulations to exclude transgender women who have experienced male puberty from competing in female categories.

The United Nations recently revealed that nearly 900 biological females have missed award opportunities due to competition against transgender athletes. Their report highlights the negative impact of replacing female sports categories with mixed-sex categories.