New Hampshire is implementing President Donald Trump’s executive order that bans transgender athletes from competing in girls’ and women’s sports. Before this order, the New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association (NHIAA) allowed athletes and their respective districts to determine eligibility, as reported by New Hampshire Public Radio. However, the NHIAA has since changed its stance, citing concerns over potential loss of federal funding.
In a statement, NHIAA Executive Director Jeffrey Collins noted that the association has sought legal advice and concluded that it is necessary to clarify its requirements, emphasizing that schools must adhere to both state and federal laws. The Department of Education praised the NHIAA for amending its policies, which previously permitted students to participate on teams aligned with their gender identity rather than their biological sex.
Former New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu enacted the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act in July, but this legislation has faced legal challenges from families of transgender athletes, who argue that it infringes on constitutional rights and federal laws by denying equal educational opportunities and discriminating against transgender individuals.
The plaintiffs, Parker Tirrell and Iris Turmelle, initially filed the lawsuit last year to contest the law. Recently, a federal judge allowed the addition of the Trump administration as a defendant in the case due to the executive order. The situation has also led to a separate lawsuit involving parents who wore wristbands labeled “XX,” referencing biological female chromosomes, and were reportedly banned from school property.
Trump’s “No Men in Women’s Sports” executive order, signed on February 5, stipulates that educational institutions allowing biological males to compete on women’s or girls’ teams risk losing federal funding. New Hampshire is among 25 states with similar laws, but Tirrell and Turmelle have been permitted to compete on girls’ teams due to a federal judge’s ruling in their favor. Meanwhile, representatives from California, Minnesota, Massachusetts, and Maine have indicated they will continue to uphold state laws, disregarding Trump’s order, which has led to Title IX investigations.
