On Feb. 5, President Trump passed an executive order banning transgender women from playing in female sports. This executive order fulfills a campaign promise to crack down on what Trump deems “transgender insanity.” This resulted in criticism from many trans-rights groups claiming the order was unfair and prejudiced, while many others claimed the order was necessary for women’s rights and fairness in sports.
The executive order bans transgender women in schools from participating in female-only school sports; however, transgender men are unaffected. The order seeks to combat issues of genetic differences between male and female players, as well as safety concerns for students, according to a fact sheet released by the White House.
The debate surrounding the controversial order is whether or not banning trans women in female sports threatens the rights of the trans community. Many members and supporters of the trans community claim that trans individuals should engage in sports based on the gender they identify as rather than the biological sex they are. According to an article by the Scientific American, trans women in female sports is a non-issue. They claim cisgender women can in fact win against trans athletes. There are women who already experience elevated testosterone levels, and transgender women on puberty blockers have negligible testosterone levels.
Opponents of trans women in sports claim that the underlying issue in sports is biology. According to an article from BBC, many experts, including those who are trans, do believe that trans women should be kept out of female sports. Despite not being guaranteed a win, the biologically male players have a distinct advantage over the biologically female players. Following puberty, males will experience greater muscle mass, increased bone density, greater lung capacity and stronger hearts. These changes to the body are more present in males than females, putting them at an advantage in sports, and these changes do not simply go away when testosterone levels are reduced.
President Trump’s executive order will likely not be repealed and will persist until the end of his presidency. The question is then; what will this change mean for sports in America?
In many states including Texas, these laws are already in effect, and as such, athletes in these states are unlikely to notice major changes. In states where these laws do not already exist, any trans women playing in female sports will have to transition to male sports teams. It’s important to note that trans women are not being banned from sports, only banned from participating in sports of the gender they identify as. Now, male sports teams will consist of cisgender men, trans women and trans men.
Beyond sports at schools, the executive order puts pressure on private and international sports organizations. Privatized American teams are now required to let go of the trans women on their female teams and must refuse to play against international female teams with trans players.
The consensus is that the female sports scene will now be more fair to female players. While it seems this may come at the expense of trans women’s rights, it’s important to note that an amendment passed by the Department of Justice in 1972 already guaranteed protections to students based on biological sex. Trump’s stance is that allowing trans women, biological males, into female sports violates this amendment and therefore women’s rights in America. In the eyes of the law, President Trump’s executive order acted to affirm protections for women in sports.
In addition, many athletes prior to the order vocalized support for such decisions. One case is that of Payton McCnabb, a high school volleyball player who was seriously injured by a trans player during a competition. A trans woman on the other team spiked the ball, hitting McCnabb in the head and causing her brain bleeding, memory loss, and partial paralysis. This case got the support of many athletes for banning trans women from female sports, showing that in the eyes of the athletes, President Trump’s order acts to further women’s sports.
