The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics made it clear on Monday that transgender women will not be allowed to participate in women’s sports during their sanctioned events.
According to the NAIA’s website, the policy clearly states that only student-athletes who are biologically female can participate in NAIA-sponsored female sports. Additionally, the policy specifies that women who have started hormone therapy are ineligible to participate in women’s sports.
The policy stated that it would undergo review in light of any legal, scientific, or medical developments.
Every male athlete is eligible to participate in men’s sports.
During its annual meeting in Missouri, the NAIA Council of Presidents unanimously approved the policy, as reported by The Associated Press.
The NBA Hall of Famers, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman, are shining examples of the talent nurtured within the 240 member colleges of the NAIA. With Scottie Pippen hailing from Central Arkansas and Dennis Rodman from Southeastern Oklahoma State, the NAIA has proven to be a breeding ground for basketball greatness.
“The NAIA has taken a significant step by becoming the first national college governing body to require athletes to compete according to their biological sex,” wrote Riley Gaines on X. Gaines, who herself competed in college at the University of Kentucky, has since become a strong advocate for single-sex sports. She had personal experience competing against transgender swimmer Lia Thomas, who was a member of the University of Pennsylvania team.”
Megyn Kelly expressed her excitement and anticipation for the next move from the NCAA by saying, “Yes!! @NCAA – your move.”
The decision faced criticism from the Human Rights Campaign.
Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign, expressed strong condemnation of the recent decision made by the NAIA. In a press release, Robinson stated that the NAIA’s action of excluding a particular group of individuals from competition is a direct result of a right-wing outrage campaign. Robinson argued that this campaign intentionally distorts the realities of transgender athletes while offering no genuine support for women’s sports. The president of the Human Rights Campaign emphasized the dangerous message being sent not only to other sanctioning bodies but also to youth sports leagues nationwide. Robinson called for an immediate halt to this alarming trend.
