GLMA Denounces Harmful Executive Order Targeting Transgender Athletes
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 6, 2025
Contact: Eli Duffy
Director of Communications & Strategic Partnerships
eduffy@glma.org
Washington, DC — GLMA strongly condemns the Trump administration’s latest
executive order, which seeks to weaponize Title IX to ban transgender and intersex women and girls from playing on sports teams and to access locker rooms consistent with their gender identity. The order applies the narrow and unworkable definition from the Trump administration’s
“gender ideology” executive order, which claims there are only two “biological sexes” without any reference to gender identity.
The order also directs the White House to host a convening of athletic organizations and sports governing bodies, as well as a meeting of state attorneys general, in order to identify effective practices and enforcement mechanisms to uphold these policies. This underscores the administration's goal of broad enforcement across the sports community, impacting athletes of all ages.
“This executive order isn’t about fairness—it’s about control. By aiming to ban trans and intersex women from sports, the administration is not only attempting to deny them the joy of competition but also the lifelong benefits that come with it,” said Alex Sheldon, MA (they/them), Executive Director of GLMA. “Sports are more than just games, especially for women; they shape future leaders, build confidence, and instill the values of teamwork and perseverance. Yet, this order seeks to strip trans and intersex women of those opportunities, pushing them further to the margins. This is yet another attempt by the administration to spread misinformation, disregard science, and reject the expertise of health professionals in favor of an extremist ideology.”
"Physical activity and sports are vital for overall physical, social, and mental well-being," said a GLMA member and sports medicine physician. "Attempting to ban trans athletes not only discriminates against the trans community, but creates a context that puts all athletes at risk. Policies targeting trans women create a culture of fear and scrutiny, where any athlete who doesn’t conform to stereotypical gender expectations could be subjected to invasive examinations or forced out of their sport entirely. Combating the misinformation that drives these discriminatory policies is central to ensuring safety and inclusion for everyone in the athletic community.”
While the executive order is a further attempt to enforce a definition of "sex" in a narrow way, legal protections under Title IX remain intact. Courts have consistently affirmed that discrimination based on gender identity is a form of sex discrimination, as laid out in
Bostock v. Clayton County. The administration
cannot override laws passed by Congress or protections upheld by the Supreme Court.
GLMA will continue to advocate for the trans and intersex communities, as well as safeguarding the rights of health professionals who provide care to these communities.
About GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ+ Equality
GLMA is a national organization committed to ensuring health equity for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) communities and equality for LGBTQ+ health professionals in their work and learning environments. To achieve this mission, GLMA utilizes the scientific expertise of its diverse multidisciplinary membership to inform and drive advocacy, education, and research.
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