07-02-2025
MHSAA waits on guidance for transgender athletes
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Michigan athletics are in a state of limbo Friday following President Trump's latest executive order, which bans biologically born men from participating in girls' and women's sports.
'We are waiting for clarification to find out what conflicts there might be between the executive order and the Elliott Larsen Civil Rights Act,' said Geoff Kimmerly, director of communications for Michigan High School Athletic Association.
MHSAA has worked as the state's rule-making and governing sports body for most high schools and middle schools in Michigan for the past 100 years. Kimmerly said out of the 175,000 student-athletes it oversees, MHSAA knows of only two transgender women playing in female or girls sports this year.
'It is rarely brought into play. We have two waivers during this school year,' he said. 'We do not track transgender boys because everyone is allowed to play on boy's teams.'
Trump's bans biologically born male athletes from participating in girls' and women's sports. The order reverses Title IX expansions added by his predecessor.
'The war on women's sports is over,' Trump said. 'From now on women's sports will be only for women.'
NCAA changes transgender policy to limit women's competition to athletes assigned female at birth
However, while the order rolls back Title IX guidelines, there are still questions about whether the federal order or Michigan's Elliott Larsen Act takes precedence over the other.
The state's Civil Rights Act expanded protections based on sexual orientation, gender identity and expression back in 2023.
'We have not stopped them from participating as of this point,' Kimmerly said. 'Until we have clarity on how this fits and what takes precedence, we have not stopped them from participating.'
The NCAA revised its Thursday to align with Trump's announcement.
'There is a federal law that may have some conflicts with a state law, and we need to find out where those conflicts lie and what takes precedence,' Kimmerly said. 'And we'll go from there.'
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