Trump signs executive order banning transgender athletes from women’s sports

Libby Hearst ’28
hearstede@lakeforest.edu
JOUR 320 Student

When President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order earlier this month banning medically transitioned women from competing in women’s sports, he made a decision that could significantly impact student-athletes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). 

The order—”Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports”—blocks Title IX federal funding for colleges and universities if they allow transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports. Supporters argue the decision protects women’s sports, citing fairness, but others claim the ban discriminates against a small number of transgender student-athletes. 

The NCAA has fewer than a dozen transgender females (less than 0.0019%) out of roughly 510,000 athletes, Charlie Baker, president of the organization, told the U.S. Senate at a hearing last year. Although the association has allowed transgender students to compete in sports since 2010, the new order forces it to halt that policy.

The ban also comes shortly after the Trump administration signed an executive order recognizing only two sexes: male and female. What these developments mean in the long term is unclear. However, , but there is a distinction between gender and sex, says Associate Prof. Elizabeth Benacka, chair of Communication and Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies. Gender is the “cultural construction of identity,” while sex is the “biological presentation,” she says.

“This means that there is a full spectrum of how people both feel and enact their gender identity rather than the limited binary of male/female that has historically dominated discussions around sex and gender,” Benacka said.

Meanwhile, questions remain about whether colleges and universities will comply with the new executive order. 

At Lake Forest College, the Office of Title IX’s current policy, as stated online, allows transgender students to participate in Lake Forest College’s single-sex NCAA athletics programs “as set forth in the NCAA guidelines regarding the same.” It also says that transgender students “may participate in the College’s single- sex non-NCAA athletics programs consistent with their gender identity.”

“I want to reaffirm Lake Forest College’s commitment to its mission. We remain dedicated to supporting our students, faculty, and staff – the Foresters who make this institution thrive,” Interim College President Rob Krebs wrote on in an Feb. 17 in an email to students, faculty, and staff. “Lake Forest College will continue to comply with all applicable state and federal laws while doing our utmost to support the well-being of every member of our community.”  

Alijah Campbell, a 21-year-old junior who plays on the women’s golf team at Lake Forest College, is in supports of the ban.

“This was a major win for women’s sports. It protects biologically female athletes from biological males participating in their sports and potentially taking titles away from them due to the biological and physical advantages men have over women,” Campbell said, “As a college athlete, this made me extremely happy to know that I will never have to be put in a position to compete against a biological male and that my rights as a female athlete are being protected.”

However, freshman Ellie Clark disagrees.

“I feel like people should be able to compete as they want to compete, and our priorities shouldn’t be limiting how people should express themselves,” said Clark, 19, who runs on the women’s cross country and track team at Lake Forest College. “For me, it’s just like we’ve come so far. Why are you taking this away from us? It’s also on the idea that as athletes, we put so much care and attention into doing our sport, and to have it all taken away is devastating.”