The Philadelphia School District has announced that it will not follow an executive order from Donald Trump, and that it will instead continue to allow transgender athletes to compete on teams that align with their gender identity.
Trump’s executive order, the so-called “No Men in Women’s Sports” policy, prohibits transgender Americans from participating in sports if the team or category does not align with their sex at birth. The order threatens to withhold federal funding from schools that do not comply.
Philadelphia School District officials said in a statement Tuesday via The Philadelphia Inquirer that that their schools “strive to ensure safety, equity and justice for all students regardless of gender identity or gender expression so that they can imagine and realize any future they desire.”
“The district will continue to align its practices to support its LGBTQ+ students in accordance with Board Policy 252 for transgender and gender non-conforming students,” officials said.
Philadelphia’s Policy 252 forbids the forced outing of LGBTQ+ students to their guardians, and also states that “transgender and gender nonconforming students shall be permitted to participate in physical education classes and intramural sports in a manner consistent with their gender identity. Participation in competitive athletic activities and contact sports will be resolved on a case-by-case basis.”
Hellbound and Down 