NCAA has banned transgender women from competing in women’s sports, following an executive order from President Trump. The decision has sparked political debate and legal challenges.
NCAA Bans Transgender Women from Sports After Trump’s Executive Order
The NCAA, the main organization for college sports in the U.S., has banned transgender women from competing in women’s sports. This rule took effect immediately on Thursday, just one day after U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on the issue.
Trump’s order aims to stop transgender girls and women from participating in female sports. Supporters say this makes competition fairer, but critics argue it takes away the rights of a small group of athletes.
New Policy Based on Birth Records
The new NCAA rule states:
“A student-athlete assigned male at birth may not compete on a women’s team.”
This means a person’s sex is decided by what doctors record at birth. Before this rule, the NCAA allowed transgender women to compete if they followed testosterone level limits based on each sport.
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Trump Celebrates the Ban
Trump cheered the NCAA’s decision with a social media post, writing:
“IT IS NOW BANNED!”
He also said, “This is a great day for women and girls across our Country. Men should have NEVER been allowed to compete against women in the first place, but I am proud to be the President to SAVE Women’s Sports.” He added that he expects the Olympics to make a similar rule.
Only a Few Athletes Affected, But Big Political Debate
Although this rule affects only a small number of athletes, it has become a major political issue. In December, NCAA President Charlie Baker told the Senate that fewer than 10 transgender athletes were competing out of 530,000 student-athletes at 1,100 NCAA schools.
Trump has often talked about this issue during his 2024 presidential campaign. He has also taken other actions to limit transgender rights, including:
- Banning transgender people from serving in the military
- Ordering transgender women in prison to be moved to men’s prisons
- Trying to ban gender-transition healthcare for people under 19
These policies have faced legal challenges.
NCAA Supports Trump’s Order
After Trump signed the executive order at the White House, the NCAA quickly supported it. The NCAA said this new rule provides a clear national policy instead of different state laws and court decisions. The NCAA Board of Governors changed its policy within 24 hours of Trump’s order.
The rule applies to all sports divided by gender. Colleges and universities must now check if athletes are eligible, and no exceptions can be made.
Transgender men can still compete in men’s sports if they follow all other rules. However, transgender athletes who were assigned female at birth and take testosterone or other hormones cannot compete in women’s sports.
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LGBTQ Groups Strongly Oppose the Ban
LGBTQ rights groups criticized Trump’s order, saying it is unconstitutional and based on false information about transgender people.
A group called Advocates for Trans Equality (A4TE) said in a statement:
“A4TE condemns the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s move to pre-emptively comply with a blatantly discriminatory and unconstitutional policy.”
Trump’s order also affects high schools. Schools that allow transgender girls to compete in female sports may lose federal funding. Trump also wants the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to ban transgender athletes and stop them from getting visas to compete in the U.S.
Olympics Responds Carefully
The IOC currently allows transgender athletes to compete as long as the competition remains fair. In response to Trump’s order, the IOC said:
“Working with the respective International Sports Federations, the IOC will continue to explain and discuss the various topics with the relevant authorities.”
This debate is expected to continue, as both sides strongly argue their points.
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