The Attack on Women in Sports Just Claimed Another Victory-This One Really Hurts

"In a quiet and craven move, the United States Tennis Association recently updated its player-eligibility policy to ban transgender girls and women from competing in the category aligned with their gender identity. Independent journalist Marisa Kabas reported this on Dec. 3-two days after the policy had gone into effect. It applies to all junior and adult events. Eligibility is set to be enforced primarily via birth certificates. (The boys' and men's categories remain open to transgender people for now.)"

"Currently, more than half of states have trans-athlete bans in place at the K-12 and/or collegiate levels. (Some laws are being challenged in court.) And not long after retaking office, President Donald Trump issued an executive order calling for sports to be segregated by biological sex."

"Independent governing bodies like the USTA are not federal agencies legally bound by such orders, but regardless, following the February directive, groups including the NCAA and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee banned trans girls and women from competition across all sports they oversee, sometimes citing Trump's order. The USTA's policy refers to an earlier Trump executive order in narrowly and incorrectly defining gender as based on biological sex alone. It also claims the USOPC's own change prompted this update, so as to not risk the USTA losing status as the national governing body of tennis."

The USTA updated its player-eligibility policy to ban transgender girls and women from competing in the category aligned with their gender identity, applying the rule to all junior and adult events. Eligibility will be enforced primarily via birth certificates, while boys' and men's categories remain open to transgender players. The move occurs amid a worsening political climate for transgender people, including restrictions on sports participation, health care access, and identity documents. More than half of states have trans-athlete bans at K-12 or collegiate levels. After a presidential executive order, bodies like the NCAA and USOPC banned trans girls and women, and the USTA cited those changes when updating its policy.

Read at Slate Magazine