Change in Trans Athlete Policies at USA Gymnastics
USA Gymnastics (USAG) may soon revise its policies regarding the participation of trans athletes in women’s competitions. This follows a recent statement addressing the removal of certain web pages related to transgender eligibility policies and resources.
The organization noted, “In May, USAG removed the policy to assess compliance with the current legal landscape.”
Earlier this year, President Trump initiated an executive order aimed at barring trans athletes from competing in women’s sports. Additionally, USA Fencing is under federal examination due to its regulations allowing men to participate.
Historically, USAG had lenient policies for biological men wishing to compete in women’s categories. Notably, a significant webpage was deleted that had announced in November 2020 that trans athletes would not need to undergo sexual assignment, legal gender recognition, or hormone therapy to compete in categories of their choosing.
The organization used to host various resources and guidelines for trans athletes, but these have also been taken down. Recently, USAG faced criticism after Olympic champion Simone Biles commented negatively on former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines, which led to a public backlash. Biles later issued an apology for her remarks related to Gaines after the controversy surrounding a Minnesota high school softball team’s victory with a transgender pitcher.
Broadly speaking, public opinion appears to be shifting against allowing trans athletes in women’s sports. A survey indicated that a significant majority of Americans, including many Democrats, believe trans athletes should not compete in these categories.
From 2,128 survey participants, 79% of biological men opposed allowing trans athletes in women’s sports. Among Democrats, 67% shared the same view.
Criticism of USAG’s Policies
Other governing bodies for USA sports have also noticed increasing opposition and have been quietly adjusting their transgender policies. For instance, USA Track and Field (USATF) now adheres to World Athletics Guidelines, moving away from the International Olympic Committee’s prior policies that allowed biological men to compete in women’s events.
Meanwhile, USA Fencing has indicated plans to update its gender eligibility policy following protests from female fencers against competing with trans opponents, which have prompted significant backlash and potential federal intervention.
The updated policy under consideration aims to restrict the female category to athletes identified as female at birth, while allowing all other athletes to compete in the male category. USAG is in a transitional phase, with the potential for substantial changes before the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
