FILE - Supporters of LGBTQA+ rights participate in the March for Queer & Trans Autonomy on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on March 31, 2023. (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)WASHINGTON - Schools and colleges across the U.S.
would be forbidden from enacting outright bans on transgender athletes under a proposal released Thursday from the Biden administration, but teams could create some limits in certain cases — for example, to ensure fairness.The proposed rule sends a political counterpunch toward a wave of Republican-led states that have sought to ban trans athletes from competing in school sports that align with their gender identities.
If finalized, the proposal would become enshrined as a provision of Title IX, the landmark gender equity legislation enacted in 1972.It must undergo a lengthy approval process, however, and it’s almost certain to face challenges from opponents.The proposal comes on the same day that the Supreme Court said a 12-year-old transgender girl in West Virginia can continue competing on her middle school track and cross-country teams while legal battles over the state’s transgender law continue.
The law bans transgender athletes from female teams.All told, at least 16 states now have bans in effect covering at least high school interscholastic sports.