President Biden drops efforts to protect transgender athletes
https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nba/president-biden-drops-efforts-to-protect-transgender-athletes/ar-AA1wi3gZ?ocid=windirect&cvid=e5850e2336d84c4792f2e299997ae027&ei=70
Story by Reuters (21 Dec 2024)
President Joe Biden is abandoning a previous initiative to create a rule to protect transgender athletes at the collegiate level as an extension of Title IX, multiple outlets reported on Saturday.
During a presidential transition, it is common for departing administrations to expedite or abandon executive actions to prevent an incoming president from distorting the intent of the original initiative.
The rule, which would have prevented schools from banning transgender athletes from competition without justification, was delayed several times after its initial proposal in 2023. The delays have caused a time crunch with the incoming president set to be sworn in on Jan. 20.
As part of Biden's previous broader rule that extends civil rights protections to LGBTQ+ students under Title IX, the abandoned initiative would have prevented outright discrimination, with some limitations.
Schools would have had wiggle room to skirt the rule if they found reasons to adjust based on concerns over "fairness" in competition or to reduce injury risks.
The rule would have represented a compromise, with advocates wanting better protections for transgender athletes and opponents criticizing it for not doing enough to protect athletes and ensure fairness.