Donald Trump takes extreme measures against state of California after they refuse to ban trans athletes

Warning: This article contains discussion of discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community which some readers may find distressing.

The Trump administration has sued the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) and the California Department of Education (CDE) for allowing transgender athletes to compete in girls' school sports.

On Wednesday (9 July), Donald Trump’s latest move against transgender athletes saw the US Justice Department allege that their participation violates federal anti-discrimination laws.

The American president, 79, has made his feelings clear since his second term began in January by targeting transgender people with a series of executive orders.

In February, he issued a ban on transgender athletes competing on girls' and women's sports teams by denying federal funds for schools that allow it.

And now, in his latest move, the Republican leader has taken aim at California with a lawsuit filed in federal court in Los Angeles, reports Reuters.

The lawsuit claims that the state’s policies violate the civil rights law Title IX.

Trump's administration has taken legal action against the state of California (Bloomberg / Getty Images)

For those who aren’t familiar, Title IX was issued in 1972 and it bans any kind of sex-based discrimination in educational programmes that receive federal funding.

In simple terms, Trump has taken this extreme action because trans athletes are continuing to compete in California.

The lawsuit says that the state’s policies ‘eviscerate equal athletic opportunities for girls’ and ‘require girls to share intimate spaces, such as locker rooms, with boys, causing a hostile educational environment that denies girls educational opportunities.'

It adds: “The results of these illegal policies are stark: girls are displaced from podiums, denied awards, and miss out on critical visibility for college scholarships and recognition.

“This discrimination is not only illegal and unfair but also demeaning, signaling to girls that their opportunities and achievements are secondary to accommodating boys.”

Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement: "This Department of Justice will continue its fight to protect equal opportunities for women and girls in sports."

According to the New York Post, the complaint is demanding that a court order be issued, barring the policies, as well as compensation for ‘female athletes who have been denied equal athletic opportunities … including correcting past athletics records’.

The move comes after the US President issued a ban on transgender women competing in women's sports teams (Bloomberg / Getty Images)

The Trump administration also wants to issue a requirement that California turn in ‘regular compliance reports’ for at least the next five years.

It comes after transgender swimmer Lia Thomas was stripped of her records and medals after her university agreed to the ban of transgender women from its women’s sports teams.

Thomas was the first openly transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I national championship and she triumphed in the women's 500-yard freestyle event in 2022.

The athlete has since graduated and no longer competes for the institution.

Tyla has contacted the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) and the California Department of Education (CDE) for comment.

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact the LGBT Foundation on 0345 3 30 30 30, 10am–6pm Monday to Friday, or email [email protected]