WASHINGTON (Kashmir English): The United States has barred its transgender women from competing in women’s sports, a decision that aligns with US President Donald Trump’s policy.
The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) has barred transgender women from competing in women’s sports. President Trump had signed an executive order earlier this year in this regard.
“The USOPC will continue to collaborate with various stakeholders with oversight responsibilities, eg, IOC, IPC, NGBs, to ensure that women have a fair and safe competition environment consistent with Executive Order 14201 and the Ted Stevens Olympic & Amateur Sports Act,” the USOPC said in an update to its Athlete Safety Policy.
USOPC President Gene Sykes and CEO Sarah Hirshland mentioned Trump’s executive order in a memo to the Team USA community sent out this week, according to ABC News, which said, “As a federally chartered organisation, we have an obligation to comply with federal expectations.”
Excluding transgender girls from female sports
Trump signed the Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports order in February this year in a bid to exclude transgender girls and women from female sports.
The supporters believe that the directive will restore fairness but critics argue it infringes on the rights of a tiny minority of athletes.
The order directs the Department of Justice to ensure that all government agencies enforce a ban on transgender girls and women from participating in female school sports under Trump’s interpretation of Title IX, a law against sex discrimination in education.
President Trump’s order also calls on the US government to deny visas for transgender females seeking to compete in the country as it goes beyond high school and college sports.
The US president also said he would not allow transgender athletes to compete in the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
The executive order also instructed the State Department to pressure the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to change its policy, which allows trans athletes to compete under general guidance preventing any athlete from gaining an unfair advantage. The move is expected to affect only a small number of athletes.
The president of the National Collegiate Athletics Association had told a Senate panel in December that he was aware of fewer than 10 transgender athletes among the 530,000 competing at 1,100 member schools.
