President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday aimed at prohibiting transgender athletes from participating in women's sports competitions.
The order, titled "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports," grants federal agencies, including the Departments of Justice and Education, broad discretion to ensure that entities receiving federal funds comply with Title IX in line with the Trump administration's view, which interprets "sex" as the gender assigned to someone at birth.
"With this executive order, the war on women's sports is over," Trump said at the signing ceremony. White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, said the order "upholds the promise of Title IX" and will require "immediate actions, including coercive measures, against schools and sports associations" that deny women separate sports and changing facilities by sex.
The timing of the order coincided with National Girls and Women in Sports Day, and is the latest in a series of Trump's executive actions targeting transgender individuals.
Trump found during the campaign that his promise to "keep men out of women's sports" resonated beyond the usual party lines. More than half of voters surveyed by AP VoteCast said that support for transgender rights in government and society has gone too far.
He leaned on the rhetoric before the elections, pledging to get rid of the "transgender madness," although his campaign offered few details.
The order provides some clarity. For example, it authorizes the Department of Education to penalize schools that allow transgender athletes to compete, citing non-compliance with Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination in schools. Any school found in violation could potentially become ineligible for federal funds.
The order also requires private sports organizations to gather at the White House so the president can personally hear "the stories of athletes who have suffered lifelong injuries, who have been silenced and forced to shower with men and compete with men on sports fields across the country."