U.S. Olympics, Paralympics quietly change transgender policy

The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee updated its safety rules to prevent men from competing in women’s sports. The change, quietly issued in June and first reported Tuesday by the New York Times, says the committee will collaborate with its 50 national governing bodies and other stakeholders to ensure a fair and safe competition environment.

The guidelines now say that the committee’s definition of a fair environment is consistent with President Donald Trump’s February executive order, Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports, as well as legislation establishing the United States Olympic Committee. The executive order directs the secretary of state to rescind support for and participation in sports programs that classify female competition categories based on so-called gender identity and not sex.

Are there any exceptions to the policy? A provision in the Olympic and Paralympic guidelines allows the committee’s Office of Athlete Safety to make exceptions to the definition of a participant in limited circumstances, thus changing who must follow its rules. The guidelines don’t include further specifics about how exceptions would work.

What does this mean for the Olympic committee’s governing bodies? USA Fencing, a governing body under the Olympic and Paralympic Committee’s jurisdiction, on July 18 changed its policy for fencers who identify as transgender or non-binary. Its women’s fencing events are now only available to biological women, while people professing other gender identities may enter men’s competitions. USA Fencing said the committee in July ordered all its subsidiaries to change their policies in compliance with Trump’s order. A female fencer this spring was disqualified for refusing to compete in a match against a male.

Dig deeper: Read my report on Florida’s threat to sue a national swimming nonprofit over its transgender policies.