[Source: Reuters]

The decision by President Donald Trump to exclude transgender girls and women from female sports has triggered what is likely to be a long, complex clash with global sports authorities as the United States counts down to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

The order directs the Department of Justice to assure that U.S. government agencies – federal, state and local – enforce a ban on transgender girls and women from participating in female school sports under Trump’s interpretation of Title IX, a law against sex discrimination in education.

Trump also said he would not allow transgender athletes to compete the LA28 Olympics and urged the International Olympic Committee to “change everything to do with the Olympics and this absolutely ridiculous subject”.

His order may have earned praise among his supporters who say it will restore fairness in women’s sport, but there was no immediate outpouring of support from international organisations embroiled in the endlessly controversial battle for years.

Instead, the order is likely to reignite a debate involving the IOC and various international sporting federations over the issue as it relates to elite sport, while exposing the huge variation in regulations.

The IOC has staunchly refused to apply any universal rule for its Games. Instead, in 2021, it instructed international federations to each come up with their own rules for their sport. Some, including athletics, swimming and rugby, have done so, but many have yet to finalise any policy on the issue.

The IOC responded to Trump’s order with a neutral-sounding statement: “Working with the respective international sports federations, the IOC will continue to explain and discuss the various topics with the relevant authorities,” an IOC spokesperson said.

Many observers have been left exasperated by Trump’s order because it apparently conflates transgender competitors with athletes who have DSD, short for “differences of sexual development”.