GOP Proposes Policy Shift in Olympic Rules to Safeguard Women’s Sports

Crowded legislative chamber with people in discussion

A bipartisan group of 26 GOP lawmakers has formally urged the International Olympic Committee to adopt policies barring biological males from women’s sports competitions ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Quick Takes

Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Jim Risch and Rep. Burgess Owens led 26 GOP lawmakers in demanding the IOC align with Trump’s recent executive order on transgender athletes.
The lawmakers argue eligibility for women’s sports must be based on biological sex to preserve fairness, safety, and equal opportunity.
The letter was strategically sent ahead of the IOC’s March 17 meeting where a new president will be elected.
The IOC has allowed transgender athletes to compete since 2004, with current policies allowing individual sports federations to set their own eligibility rules.
President Trump’s February executive order “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” will apply to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Republican Lawmakers Challenge Olympic Committee on Gender Eligibility

Republican lawmakers from both the Senate and House have taken a united stand on transgender athletes in Olympic competition by formally urging the International Olympic Committee to adopt policies that align with President Trump’s executive order barring biological males from competing in women’s sports. The letter, signed by Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Jim Risch (R-ID), Rep. Burgess Owens (R-UT), and two dozen other Republican lawmakers, was sent ahead of the IOC’s March 17 meeting where a new president will be elected and preparations for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles will be discussed.

THANK YOU: "The Olympic Games should be a model for integrity in sports, and the next IOC president must firmly defend the rights of dedicated female athletes."

U.S. Legislators sent a letter to IOC President Bach urging the Olympics Committee to protect women's sports. Read… pic.twitter.com/c3hFTDIgxy

— Independent Women's Voice (@IWV) March 12, 2025

The lawmakers emphasized the historical significance of the Olympics in their appeal, writing that “Future Olympians are counting on the IOC to protect the opportunities of women and girls to contribute to this proud tradition. To do so, the IOC must base eligibility for women’s athletic competitions on biological sex. Allowing biological males to compete in women’s categories undermines competitive opportunities, safety, and respect for female athletes.”

Trump’s Executive Order and Its Olympic Impact

The congressional letter specifically references President Trump’s February 5 executive order titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” which prohibits biological males from competing in women’s sports categories. This executive order has far-reaching implications for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, as Trump has announced it will apply to those games with enforcement overseen by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. The order directs actions against athletes who may be “attempting to fraudulently enter the United States while identifying themselves as women athletes” according to the administration’s position.

The GOP effort represents part of a broader initiative by Republicans to influence policy on transgender participation in sports. This movement has gained momentum in recent months, with the House recently passing a Republican bill to ban transgender girls from girls’ sports teams in K-12 schools, signaling the party’s commitment to this policy position across multiple levels of athletic competition.

Current Olympic Policies and Controversial Cases

The IOC has allowed transgender athletes to compete in the Olympics since 2004, though the first transgender athlete did not compete until the 2021 Tokyo Games. The committee’s current policy framework, adopted in 2021, focuses on gender equality and inclusion, replacing a 2015 policy that specifically addressed gender identity and testosterone levels for athletes transitioning from male to female. Under the current guidelines, global federations are permitted to set their own eligibility rules for transgender athletes, creating a patchwork of standards across different Olympic sports.

Controversy over the issue intensified during the 2024 Paris Olympics regarding Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, who was disqualified from a championship due to having XY chromosomes but was allowed to compete under IOC guidelines based on testosterone levels. This case was cited by many advocates for stricter biological sex-based eligibility rules as evidence of the need for reform. The 2024 Paris Olympics did bar transgender women who went through male puberty from certain events, though the implementation varied by sport.

Push for Clear Biological Standards

The letter from the 26 GOP lawmakers, which included signatures from Senators Mike Crapo, Marsha Blackburn, Jim Banks and others, unequivocally states their position that women’s athletic competitions should be reserved for biological females. “In the United States, we honor our female Olympians,” the lawmakers wrote, emphasizing that clear biological standards are essential to maintain competitive integrity. With this formal appeal, the Republican lawmakers have put themselves at the center of a contentious debate about gender classifications in competitive sports that will likely intensify as the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics approach.