All of the anti-trans executive orders Trump has signed
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Donald Trump holds a signed executive order in the Oval Office on Feb. 3. Photo: Chris Kleponis/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images
President Trump signed an executive order Wednesday banning trans women and girls from participating in female sports in federally-funded schools, multiple outlets reported.
Why it matters: Trump made attacks on trans people — and especially trans athletes — a major focus of his 2024 campaign.
- In just his first few weeks in office, Trump has rolled out a flurry of executive orders radically reshaping trans people's rights in the U.S.
Driving the news: The new executive order will bar trans women and girls from participating in women's sports at both K-12 schools and colleges. It also signals the U.S. will pressure international professional and amateur leagues to standardize eligibility requirements for sports, including the Olympics.
- Schools that violate the order will be denied federal funds and informed that they have violated Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination in schools, per the Washington Post.
- Trump told reporters present at the signing that he would bar transgender athletes from obtaining visas for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Zoom out: Even beyond the use of executive orders, the Trump administration has restricted information about transgender issues, with a number of websites with information about trans health issues going dark.
- On Wednesday, 15 state attorneys general issued a joint statement reaffirming their commitment to gender-affirming care.
- "We stand firmly in support of health care policies that respect the dignity and rights of all people," they wrote. "Health care decisions should be made by patients, families, and doctors, not by a politician trying to use his power to restrict your freedoms."
Here are some of the anti-trans executive orders issued by the administration thus far:
Recognition
One of the first executive orders Trump issued on Inauguration Day was one declaring that the federal government would only recognize two sexes, male and female.
- The edict, which declared that "sex" was not a synonym for "gender identity," meant that only those two sexes would be recognized for official documents such as passports and visas.
Between the lines: While not tailored only towards trans Americans, Trump's executive order dismantling government diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives order also impacts policies that sought to broaden sex discrimination protections to include sexual orientation and gender identity.
Gender-affirming care
Restricting gender-affirming care for youth was another key campaign pledge for Trump.
- The president followed through last week with an executive order banning federal funding or support for youth gender-affirming care for those under 19.
- The order directed the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to publish a review within 90 days of existing literature on best practices for promoting the health of children with gender dysphoria.
- The order also called for removing federal funding from medical schools and hospitals that research gender-affirming care.
Reality check: Major medical organizations, including the American Medical Association, consider gender-affirming care to be medically necessary and potentially lifesaving.
Military
Trump also issued an executive order directing the Department of Defense to formulate new policy targeting transgender service members, paving the way for a potential outright ban.
- The executive order stated that "expressing a false 'gender identity' divergent from an individual's sex cannot satisfy the rigorous standards necessary for military service."
Go deeper: Trump admin lays out framework for order targeting transgender protections
Editor's note: The story has been updated with a statement from 15 state attorneys general.
