Trump vs. Maine: Court dispute over trans women in sports broke out!

Trump vs. Maine: Court dispute over trans women in sports broke out!

The US Ministry of Justice has sued the state of Maine, which triggers a significant legal examination of the participation of transgender people in women's sports. Justice Minister Pam Bondi said that Maine discriminates against the protection of women in women's sports. This is directly related to a decree of US President Donald Trump, which is signed in February, which forbids transgender people, especially trans-women, the participation in girls and women's sports.

Trump announced that with this regulation the "war against women's sports". The decree bears the title "Keeping men from women's sports" and stipulates that institutions that take on trans women or trans-girls in their sports teams have to expect significant consequences. In particular, the cuts of federal funds for schools and sports associations that do not offer any special programs or changing rooms for women

controversy around Trump's decree

When signing the decre, Trump was surrounded by applauding athletes. According to Karoline Leavitt, the press spokeswoman for the White House, the new regulations come into force. This measure is part of a wider policy of the Trump government, which has repeatedly been directed against the rights of transgender people in recent years. Trump had already announced in the election campaign that he wanted to end the so-called "transgender spirit sense", and plans to also exclude transpersons from the US military.

governor Janet Mills from Maine has sharply criticized Trump's measures. She expressed that it was not about the protection of women and girls, but about enforcing his will to the states. Mills also pointed out that the Trump government has been going against Maine for two months, which has negative effects on different groups. At a meeting between Trump and Mills, the President threatened to cut federal funds, should Maine not fit the decree.

inclusion in sport

The discussion about the inclusion of transgender people in the sport area is intense and controversial. A variety of votes demands that sports act as a link between different gender identities and nationalities. Nevertheless, there are opposition, such as a current situation in which the Dutch transgender woman Noa-Lynn van Leuven experienced both hostility and protests by teammates after her success at an darts tournament.

With Trump's announcements to deny transgender participation in future Olympic Games, the conflict about gender identity in sport seems to achieve a new escalation level. Voices from various sports associations, such as the General German University Sports Association (ADH), emphasize the need for inclusion and diversity in sport, while the political decisions of the Trump administration take a different direction.