WASHINGTON, D.C. – Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall joined President Donald Trump at the White House for the signing of an executive order titled Keep Men Out of Women’s Sports on Wednesday, coinciding with National Girls and Women in Sports Day. The order seeks to reinforce Title IX protections by restricting participation in women’s sports based on biological sex.
Attorney General Marshall, who has been an advocate for policies limiting transgender athletes’ participation in female sports categories, voiced his support for the executive action.
“Since returning to the White House, President Trump has wasted no time tackling the issues that matter most to the American people. With a single stroke of his pen, he has reversed years of radical and damaging policies,” Marshall stated. “Americans should not have to worry about their daughters losing out on critical opportunities—whether spots on sports teams, scholarships, or the countless other advantages sports provide. It is simple common sense: Biological males don’t belong on sports fields or in locker rooms with girls. I am proud to have stood beside President Trump as he signed this urgently needed executive order.”
The executive order follows legal battles over the Biden administration’s interpretation of Title IX, which expanded protections for transgender individuals, including access to female-designated spaces and sports teams. Marshall has been at the forefront of legal challenges against these policies, including efforts to block changes that would allow transgender women to compete in women’s athletics.
Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.) also attended the signing and echoed her support for the executive order.
“Women and girls across our nation nearly saw their ability to achieve their own personal American Dream ripped away when President Biden and Vice President Harris chose to dismantle Title IX protections,” Britt said. “Today, President Trump said no more, and he restored longstanding, commonsense protections to ensure daughters across America, like my own, can continue to unlock their potential.”
Britt is a cosponsor of the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, introduced by Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), which would codify sex-based eligibility in women’s sports. The bill, which recently passed in the U.S. House by a vote of 218-206, would prohibit federally funded institutions from allowing transgender women to compete in female sports.
Opponents of such measures argue that they infringe on the rights of transgender athletes and could lead to further restrictions on gender identity protections in education and athletics. Advocacy groups, including the Human Rights Campaign and the American Civil Liberties Union, have criticized similar legislative efforts, stating that they undermine Title IX’s broader goal of preventing discrimination in sports.
The executive order is expected to face legal challenges as courts continue to weigh the balance between sex-based and gender identity protections in athletics.
