The US Olympic and Paralympic Committee has pledged to follow a Trump administration order by banning transgender women athletes in an update to its athlete safety policy – falling in line with other groups that have banned transgender women from sports competition in the women’s category.
Trump’s “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” executive order was issued in February. The New York Times was first to report the change.
The USOPC athlete safety policy, which does not directly reference the word “transgender” in the 27-page document, now features an ambiguously worded paragraph referring to Trump’s executive order from February.
The new language reads: “The USOPC is committed to protecting opportunities for athletes participating in sport. The USOPC will continue to collaborate with various stakeholders with oversight responsibilities, e.g., IOC, IPC, NGBs, to ensure that women have a fair and safe competition environment consistent with Executive Order 14201 and the Ted Stevens Olympic & Amateur Sports Act, 36 U.S.C § 22501, et. seq.”