Just hours after President Donald Trump signed an executive order barring transgender student-athletes from participating in school sports nationwide, Virginia’s high school sports league pushed back, stating it will continue to allow transgender girls to compete.
The executive order, one of over 50 issued since Trump’s return to office on January 20, threatens to cut federal funding for schools that do not comply. However, the Virginia High School League (VHSL) remains firm in its stance.
“We have not seen or received anything regarding the Executive Order,” said Mike McCall, VHSL’s communications director. “We will continue following the current policy and the current law in Virginia.”
Trump’s executive order claims that allowing transgender athletes in school sports is “demeaning, unfair, and dangerous” to women and girls, asserting that it denies them equal opportunities in competitive sports. However, critics argue the ban does little to protect women’s athletics and instead directly targets transgender athletes.
The VHSL’s decision stands in contrast to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), which swiftly adjusted its policies to align with Trump’s directive, banning transgender women from women’s college sports. While the NCAA complied immediately, the Virginia League has opted to uphold its existing rules as legal challenges and procedural delays unfold.
Trump’s “Keeping Men out of Women’s Sports” executive order seeks to limit transgender participation in three key ways:
- Defunding Schools That Allow Trans Athletes – The order threatens to revoke federal funding from educational institutions that do not enforce the ban. However, federal education funding is allocated in complex ways at state and district levels, making targeted enforcement difficult.
- Redefining Title IX Protections – The administration aims to interpret Title IX to exclude discrimination protections for transgender athletes. However, legal precedent—such as the 2020 Supreme Court decision in Bostock v. Clayton County—affirms that discrimination based on gender identity falls under sex discrimination protections in the Civil Rights Act. This makes the order vulnerable to legal challenges.
- Public Messaging and Performative Measures – The order calls for various meetings with athletic organizations, state attorneys general, and international sports bodies to discuss policies and hear from female athletes who claim harm from transgender participation. However, these meetings appear more symbolic than substantive in enforcing the ban.
While Trump promotes his executive order as a decisive action, executive orders do not hold the same power as legislation passed through Congress. Many require additional regulatory reviews, delaying their implementation for months. This allows time for legal challenges, which are expected given the existing court rulings protecting transgender rights.
Trump has previously been forced to walk back executive orders that exceeded presidential authority, such as his attempt to freeze federally mandated assistance programs. The fate of this order will likely be determined in court, where LGBTQ+ rights advocates are already preparing to challenge it.
For now, Virginia’s high school sports league is standing firm, refusing to comply with what it views as an unlawful and discriminatory policy.
