Under a new provision presented by President Joe Biden on January 20, transgender college and high school athletes could soon have the opportunity to participate in sports as the gender they identify with, opposed to the gender they were assigned at birth.
Biden signed a number of executive orders on his first day in office, including one that demands all federal agencies enforce last year’s U.S. Supreme Court decision that expounds upon what sex discrimination really means, especially as it applies to students participating in college and high school sports.
The executive order called “Preventing and Combating Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity or Sexual Orientation” states, “children should be able to learn without worrying about whether they will be denied access to the restroom, the locker room, or school sports…all persons should receive equal treatment under the law, no matter their gender identity or sexual orientation.”
This re-enforcement comes after several bills were presented to 17 different U.S. statehouses last year to prevent transgender athletes from playing on teams that coincide with their gender identity. Biden’s order demands every agency must act and enforce this regulation within 100 days of January 20. “Every person should be treated with respect and dignity,” the order states. “[They] should be able to live without fear, no matter who they are or whom they love.”