US Olympic & Paralympic Committee Bans Transgender Women from Women's Sports

• The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) updated its policy as of 22 July
• This action signals an overall national policy change regarding the inclusion of transgender athletes in sports
• The policy shift would have a great bearing on national and international athlete eligibility
   

The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) has updated its Athlete Safety Policy to meet an executive order signed earlier this year by President Donald Trump that bars transgender women from competing in women's sports.

In an updated policy, the USOPC asserted that it would continue to collaborate with oversight entities like the International Olympic Committee (IOC), International Paralympic Committee (IPC), and National Governing Bodies (NGBs) to maintain a "fair and safe competition environment" as per Executive Order 14201 and the Ted Stevens Olympic & Amateur Sports Act.

The USOPC is not publicly commenting on the policy revision. USOPC President Gene Sykes and CEO Sarah Hirshland, however, alluded to the executive order in a recent letter to the Team USA community, citing the organization's legal obligation to honor federal mandates as a federally chartered organization.

President Trump in February signed the "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" executive order, a move that will prevent transgender girls and women from playing in women's sports divisions. The supporters claim it is just and right, while detractors consider it as disregarding the rights of a small, marginalized group of players.

The directive also instructs the Department of Justice to enforce the prohibition in all federal departments and agencies under the understanding of Title IX held by Trump, forbidding sex-based discrimination in education. Further, it also urges the disqualification of visas for transgender female athletes who want to compete in the U.S., and is against their participation in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

The directive also directs the State Department to call for the IOC to reconsider its existing policy under which transgender athletes can compete on terms intended to avoid giving them an unfair advantage.

Though the executive order is likely to affect only a few athletes, the NCAA president testified in December before a Senate committee that fewer than 10 transgender athletes were known among 530,000 competitors on 1,100 member campuses.