After Trump Order Banning Transgender Athletes In Women’s Sports, Texas Sues NCAA To Require Sex Testing

In accordance with an executive order by President Donald Trump banning transgender women from women’s sports, the NCAA restricted competition in women’s sports to athletes assigned female at birth in February. Some activists, though, claimed the new rules didn’t go far enough, spearheading a push that saw Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sue the NCAA demanding mandatory sex testing.

The first hearing in the case featured former San Jose State University volleyball player Brooke Slusser, as well as former University of Kentucky and former North Carolina State University swimmers Kaitlynn Wheeler and Kylee Alons, all of whom testified about their experiences with transgender athletes. Each of the women is also involved in a separate lawsuit against the NCAA, headed by Riley Gaines, for its previous trans inclusion.

>After Trump Administration Bans Transgender Athletes From Women’s Sports, Administration Launches Investigation Into Universities’ Trans Policies

Paxton sought an injunction that would force the NCAA to implement sex screenings. On Tuesday, however, presiding Judge Les Hatch ruled against him, allowing the NCAA to continue with its current revised framework.

Following the judge’s order, the NCAA provided a statement to Fox News:

“The Trump administration has made clear that the new NCAA policy is consistent with the Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports Executive Order. The NCAA is looking forward to another championship season getting underway for thousands of women student-athletes competing for national titles.”

The NCAA oversees more than 500,000 athletes, just ten of whom were transgender last year. Despite the denied injunction, Trump’s executive order remains in effect, barring them and others like them from competition.

One of those trans athletes, Meghan Alexandra Cortez, was a swimmer at Ramapo College of New Jersey. She described the experience of being a transgender athlete as “completely isolated,” adding, “Yes, it’s unfortunate I can’t compete at this level any more. What hurts most is that other trans athletes won’t get that chance.”

“I chose my sport, and for a while, it broke me – I thought I could never be who I wanted to be,” she said. “When I realized I didn’t have to make that choice, I felt nothing but joy. My fondest memories of swimming are from the moments I could be myself while doing what I loved. Now, others won’t get to experience that.”