Debate Heats Up: Calls for IOC to Reevaluate Athlete Gender Policies

People gathering in United States legislative chamber meeting room

Republican lawmakers challenge the International Olympic Committee to adopt stricter gender categorization rules for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, aligning with President Trump’s executive order barring biological males from women’s sports categories.

Key Takeaways

A group of 26 Republican legislators led by Sen. Jim Risch and Rep. Burgess Owens sent a letter urging the IOC to revise athlete categorization rules.
The lawmakers’ request aligns with President Trump’s executive order “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” issued on February 5.
The letter emphasizes protection of competitive opportunities, safety, and respect for female athletes through biological sex-based eligibility.
The IOC currently allows individual sport federations to set their own transgender athlete eligibility rules.
The 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles would be directly affected by these proposed policy changes.

Republicans Call for Biological Standards in Olympic Competition

A contingent of 26 Republican lawmakers has formally requested that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) implement regulations that would limit women’s sports categories to biological females only. The letter, sent ahead of the IOC’s March 17 meeting, was spearheaded by Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Jim Risch of Idaho and Representative Burgess Owens of Utah, along with several other prominent Republican legislators. Their petition directly references President Donald Trump’s executive order “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” issued on February 5, which prohibited biological males from competing in women’s sports competitions.

THANK YOU: "The Olympic Games should be a model for integrity in sports, and the next IOC president must firmly defend the rights of dedicated female athletes."

U.S. Legislators sent a letter to IOC President Bach urging the Olympics Committee to protect women's sports. Read… pic.twitter.com/c3hFTDIgxy

— Independent Women's Voice (@IWV) March 12, 2025

The lawmakers emphasized that their request comes with significant consideration for the upcoming 2028 Summer Olympics scheduled to take place in Los Angeles. With the United States set to host this prestigious international event, Republicans are pressing for alignment between Olympic policies and the executive order that would potentially affect athlete eligibility and participation requirements. The timing of this letter is strategic, as it precedes the IOC’s upcoming session where a new president will be elected and preparations for the Los Angeles Games will be discussed.

The Push for Biological Sex-Based Eligibility

At the heart of the Republican lawmakers’ argument is the assertion that women’s athletic competitions should be restricted to participants based on biological sex rather than gender identity. The IOC has allowed transgender athletes to compete in the Olympics since 2004, though the first transgender Olympic participant did not compete until the 2021 Tokyo Games. Current IOC policy allows individual sports federations to establish their own eligibility criteria for transgender competitors, resulting in varying standards across different Olympic events.

The effort to influence Olympic policy is part of a broader Republican initiative regarding transgender participation in sports. The House recently passed legislation to ban transgender girls from competing on girls’ sports teams in K-12 schools, highlighting the party’s consistent position on this issue. The lawmakers’ letter to the IOC builds on these previous legislative actions, seeking to extend similar restrictions to the highest level of international competition.

Previous Olympic Controversies and Policy Evolution

The Republican lawmakers’ letter specifically referenced controversies from the 2024 Paris Olympics, particularly regarding Algerian boxer Imane Khelif. Khelif, who was disqualified from a world championship due to having XY chromosomes but was permitted to compete in the Paris Olympics under IOC guidelines that focus on testosterone levels rather than chromosomal makeup. This case has become a rallying point for those advocating for stricter biological standards in women’s sports competitions.

The IOC’s approach to transgender athletes has evolved significantly over time. In 2021, the organization issued a framework focused on gender equality and inclusion that replaced a 2015 policy regarding gender identity and testosterone levels. This framework served as guidance for the 2024 Paris Olympics, where transgender women who had gone through male puberty were barred from certain events. The Republicans’ current push would represent a more definitive stance that applies uniformly across all women’s Olympic competitions.

Implications for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics

President Trump has specifically stated that his executive order would apply to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem tasked with enforcement. The order directs action against athletes “attempting to fraudulently enter the United States while identifying themselves as women athletes,” creating potential implementation challenges for international athletic competitions hosted on American soil. The Republican legislators are clearly seeking to align IOC policy with this executive directive well in advance of the Los Angeles Games.

The group of lawmakers signing the letter included several prominent Republicans such as Senators Mike Crapo, Marsha Blackburn, and Representative Jim Banks, demonstrating substantial party support for this position. Their collective message emphasizes preserving fairness, safety, and equal opportunity for female athletes through policies that recognize and respect biological differences between male and female competitors at the Olympic level.