The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has a policy framework in place since 2021 that defers eligibility criteria for women's events to individual international federations, prioritising fairness, non-discrimination and evidence-led approaches.[1][2]

The framework does not mandate genetic testing such as SRY gene screening for all women's categories across Olympic sports, leaving decisions to each sport's governing body. For example, World Athletics' regulations exclude athletes with certain differences of sex development (DSD), including those with the SRY gene, from the female category.[3]

The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) updated its transgender participation policy in June 2023 to bar athletes who experienced male puberty from women's elite national team categories, regardless of hormone therapy.[4]

Former U.S. President Donald Trump, during his 2024 presidential campaign, pledged to sign an executive order banning transgender women from women's sports if re-elected, directing U.S. influence on international bodies like the IOC.[5]

The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments on October 15, 2024, in U.S. v. Skrmetti concerning Tennessee's law restricting participation in girls' school sports to biological sex at birth. A decision is expected by June 2025.[6]

Similar cases in West Virginia and Idaho have challenged state laws barring transgender girls from girls' sports teams, led by Attorneys General Patrick Morrisey and Raúl Labrador, respectively. The West Virginia case remains subject to lower court rulings after Supreme Court procedural decisions.[7]

Sources

1. International Olympic Committee, "IOC Framework on Fairness, Inclusion and Non-discrimination", 16 November 2021, https://www.olympics.com/ioc/news/ioc-framework-on-fairness-inclusion-and-non-discrimination-on-the-basis-of-gender-identity-and-sex-variations
2. IOC, "Gender identity and sex variations", accessed 2024, https://www.olympics.com/ioc/faq-athletes/gender-identity-sex-variations-policy
3. World Athletics, "Eligibility Regulations for the Female Classification", 23 April 2023, https://worldathletics.org/download/download?filename=5dc4d479-8b8b-4b79-becb-8b0c5f8a3c97.pdf&urlslug=world-athletics-eligibility-regulations-for-the-female-classification-competitions-as-a-new-category
4. U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, "USOPC Updates Transgender Athlete Policy", 8 June 2023, https://www.teamusa.com/news/2023/june/08/usopc-statement-on-transgender-participation-policy-update
5. Associated Press, "Trump pledges executive order banning transgender women from girls, women's sports", 19 July 2024, https://apnews.com/article/trump-transgender-athletes-sports-women-8b8b6e2b4c8a3f2d1e9f0a7b5c3d2e1f
6. U.S. Supreme Court, "Transcript - U.S. v. Skrmetti", 15 October 2024, https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2024/23-477_9o6b.pdf
7. SCOTUSblog, "U.S. v. Skrmetti & related transgender sports cases", accessed 2024, https://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/united-states-v-skrmetti/