Can Trump Ban Trans Athletes in Women's Sports? Legal Experts Have Doubts
Donald Trump set to take office in January 2025—and promising swift and definitive action.Trump said at a rally in New York in October that he will "keep men out of women's sports" if elected, echoing a long-running campaign commitment.In an earlier town hall with women on Fox News, Trump called the participation of trans athletes in women's sports as "so crazy" and an "easy" problem to solve. "We're not going to let it happen...You just ban it.
The president bans it. You just don't let it happen. It's not a big deal," Trump said.It is not clear if Trump was suggesting he use executive action to achieve the ban, or another mechanism at his disposal.
In January 2023, he released a campaign video saying Congress would take action."I will ask Congress to pass a bill establishing that the only genders recognized by the United States government are male and female—and they are assigned at birth," Trump said in the video. "The bill will also make clear that Title IX prohibits men from participating in women's sports."Title IX is 1970s-era civil rights legislation that ensures equality of access to educational programs and activities receiving federal funding.
It prohibits sex discrimination and is best known for its impact in opening up sports to girls and women.The recent growth in the number of people identifying as transgender has sparked an intense debate about whether trans women should be allowed to compete in women's sports over a mix of concerns relating to safety and fairness.The interpretation of Title IX and how it defines sex sits at the heart of this debate.
