A protester holds a sign outside the Supreme Court during arguments over state laws barring transgender girls and women from playing on school athletic teams
President Trump signed an executive order banning trans athletes from women’s sports called ‘Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports’ back in February 2025.
According to the Supreme Court, 30 states have restrictions on transgender athletes participating against girls and women. However, several Democratic-led states chose to ignore Trump’s executive order last year.
In May, the president threatened to pull federal funding in California if the state did not follow the order, before suing its Department of Education when they refused to do so.
The lawsuit filed by the Justice Department said California’s trans athlete stance violated Title IX, the federal law that bans discrimination in education based on sex.
The department also claimed the state’s policies ‘are not only illegal and unfair but also demeaning, signaling to girls that their opportunities and achievements are secondary to accommodating boys.’
Meanwhile, US Attorney General Pam Bondi warned Minnesota and Maine, along with California, that they could also face challenges by the federal government over allowing transgender athletes to participate in women’s sports.
