Biden administration withdraws proposed rule limiting bans on transgender athletes

The proposed rule aimed to amend Title IX, which bans sex discrimination in education programs that receive federal funding, to address the growing debate over transgender athletes.

The Biden administration's 2023 proposal would have allowed K-12 schools and universities to limit the involvement of transgender students if their participation could harm "fairness in competition" or pose a risk of injury. (AP)

The Biden administration Friday withdrew a proposed rule change that could stop schools from prohibiting transgender athletes from joining teams that match their gender identities.

The White House, in its proposed rule introduced in April 2023, had invited public feedback.

“Many of the comments were against the proposed rule,” the administration said after filing with the Federal Register received over 150,000 responses. Further, the ongoing lawsuits on the issue also led to the decision “not to regulate on this issue at this time”, as reported by Reuters.

Transgender rights, particularly regarding sports, have become a controversial topic in recent years. Many Republican candidates made strong promises in the 2023 elections to restrict transgender athletes’ participation in school sports.

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The Biden administration’s 2023 proposal would have allowed K-12 schools and universities to limit the involvement of transgender students if their participation could harm “fairness in competition” or pose a risk of injury.

The proposed rule aimed to amend Title IX, which bans sex discrimination in education programs that receive federal funding, to address the growing debate over transgender athletes. Critics of the rule argue that transgender women in women’s sports may have an unfair advantage due to physical differences, such as being stronger or larger than their cisgender competitors.

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Earlier this year, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) banned transgender women from participating in women’s sports, taking a stricter stance than some other sports organisations that permit transgender athletes based on their testosterone levels.

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Meanwhile, the US Supreme Court recently indicated its readiness to support a Republican-backed law in Tennessee that bans gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors.’

(with inputs from Reuters)

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