President Joe Biden proposes regulations to prohibit some trans athletes from high school or college sports
President Joe Biden introduced a proposal Thursday that would allow high schools and colleges to ban some transgender individuals from participating in sports, according to the Washington Post.
The proposal does not allow blanket bans for all transgender athletes but does allow trans athletes to be banned on a case-by-case basis. It also grants schools the ability to "develop their own participation policies," per the Post.
“The proposed rule ... recognizes that in some instances, particularly in competitive high school and college athletic environments, some schools may adopt policies that limit transgender students’ participation,” the Education Department said in a fact sheet. It said the proposal would give schools “the flexibility to develop their own participation policies.”
The Biden administration believes elementary schools should allow transgender athletes to compete, per the Post.
The move is a reversal from the platform Biden ran on in the 2020 presidential election. Biden's LGBTQ+ policy, which can still be found on his website, states that he would "restore transgender students’ access to sports" if elected.
Biden's policy comes after some states have passed anti-trans legislation. Alabama and Tennessee — both of which have Republican-led legislatures — already passed laws banning transgender high school students from participating in sports. On Wednesday, Kansas banned transgender athletes from girls' and women's sports. Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, attempted to veto the legislation but was overwritten.
Some other states, such as Wisconsin, have considered similar measures. West Virginia attempted to reinstate a law similar to the one passed in Kansas, but the Supreme Court refused that request Thursday.
A 2022 survey by The Trevor Project revealed that 14% of transgender youth attempted suicide in 2021, and 45% of transgender youth experienced suicidal thoughts during that period. Those rates declined in situations in which transgender individuals felt supported by their community.
If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24 hours a day at 1-800-273-8255.