A US state has openly defied Donald Trump’s executive order banning transgender athletes from competing in female sports.
Since returning to office in January, Trump has signed a wave of executive orders, with some of the most controversial targeting transgender rights.
One order bars transgender individuals from serving in the military, while another mandates that transgender women be excluded from female prisons.
In a third order targeting transgender rights, signed on February 5, Trump directed that transgender women be banned from competing in female sports.
Under the “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” order, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) may be forced to “change everything related to the Olympics and this absolutely ridiculous subject” ahead of the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.
The order also authorizes the Secretary of State’s Office to pressure the IOC to revise its standards “to promote fairness, safety, and the best interests of female athletes by ensuring eligibility for women’s sporting events is based on sex, not gender identity or testosterone reduction.”
Donald Trump banned transgender athletes from partaking in female sports (Anna Moneymaker / Staff / Getty)
While it remains to be seen how this will unfold in the coming years, the order also demands the “immediate reinforcement” of single-sex sports and changing rooms in schools and athletic associations, according to Sky News.
In open defiance of the directive, the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) has refused to comply, making Illinois the latest blue state to push back against Trump’s order.
In a public letter to the state’s Republican lawmakers, IHSA President Dan Tully warned that following Trump’s mandate could risk violating the Illinois Human Rights Act.
“The Illinois Human Rights Act requires that transgender athletes be permitted to participate in events and programs that align with their gender identity,” Tully wrote.
.jpg)
Illinois has refused to comply with the order (Anna Moneymaker / Staff / Getty)
The letter revealed that the association consulted with state Attorney General Kwame Raoul and the Illinois Department of Human Rights, seeking clear guidance to navigate the conflicting policies without violating the law.
Tully emphasized that the IHSA “simply desires to comply with the law and takes no position on which interpretation is correct or whether alignment between the claimed federal and state laws is possible.”
Republicans have reacted angrily, with Representative Blaine Wilhour calling for the state’s funding to be cut until the association falls in line.
The association represents 809 schools across Illinois, none of which receive state or federal funding.
Speaking to Fox News, he said, “Either you believe in fair competition or you don’t. Today’s Democrat Party clearly does not. They prioritize woke ideology over protecting girls in sports.”
He continued, “[The Trump administration is] going to have to step in, and the leverage they have is federal funding.
“We receive millions in federal funding every year. We’re not eager to see that withheld, but I’ll take my chances doing what’s right.”
