President Trump will sign a new rule on Wednesday that stops transgender girls and women from playing in female sports.
The rule, called “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” says that a law called Title IX, which protects against sex discrimination in schools, will not allow transgender athletes to join female teams.
Schools that do not follow this rule could lose money from the government and might face legal trouble, according to a White House official.
The rule says transgender female athletes can only play on teams for boys or both boys and girls.
People who support the rule say transgender women have physical advantages that make sports unfair.
“This is about protecting women’s sports,” the official said.
This rule comes after Republicans in Congress passed a bill called the “Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act.” The bill passed in the House of Representatives last month with 218 votes in favor and 206 against.
The bill says that a person’s sex is based on biology at birth. It also says schools that let transgender females play in women’s sports could lose government money.
The Senate has not yet voted on the bill.
Charlie Baker, the leader of the NCAA (the group that runs college sports), spoke to Congress in December. He said there are fewer than 10 transgender athletes among the NCAA’s 500,000 student-athletes. He asked for clear rules from the government.
The issue of transgender athletes became a big topic in the 2024 election. Republicans spent a lot of money on ads against it.
Surveys show that many Americans do not support transgender women playing on female teams. About half of U.S. states already have rules against it.
Since returning as president, Trump has made several rules about transgender issues.
On his first day, he signed a rule saying there are only two sexes—male and female—and that a person’s sex cannot change.
Another rule tries to limit transgender people from serving in the military.
“The rule of this government is simple: there are only two sexes—male and female,” said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
