Illinois lawmakers request clarity on Trump’s order regarding transgender athletes

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WTVO) — In response to the IHSA’s commitment to allowing transgender students to compete in athletic competitions, Illinois lawmakers have sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, seeking clarification on President Trump’s executive order banning the practice.

A letter, co-signed by Freeport Rep. Andrew Chesney (R) and Cherry Valley Rep. Dave Syverson (R), along with 17 other legislators, seeks guidance on the implementation of the “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” executive order, which was signed by President Trump on February 5th.

“Specifically, we are requesting guidance on how this federal Executive Order applies to high school athletics in Illinois, particularly with respect to policies set by the Illinois High School Association (IHSA),” the letter says.

“When biological males are allowed to compete in girls’ and women’s sports, it undermines the fairness that Title IX was designed to protect. This is not just about a few lost podium spots – it’s about preserving access to scholarships, championships, and athletic experiences that help shape the lives of young women,” the letter continues.

The lawmakers ask: Does the position taken by the Illinois Attorney General and the Illinois Department of Human Rights violate federal law? And, does this position place Illinois at risk of litigation or jeopardize federal funding?

In March, 40 Illinois lawmakers sent a letter to the IHSA, saying “the federal government adopted policies under President Trump that clearly prohibit permitting biological men to compete against biological women in sports.

On Tuesday, April 15th, the IHSA responded, “The Illinois Attorney General and, more recently, the Illinois Department of Human Rights have asserted to the IHSA that the Illinois Human Rights Act requires that transgender athletes be permitted to participate in events and programs aligning with the gender with which they identify. As a result… compliance with the [President’s] Executive Order could place the IHSA out of compliance with the Illinois Human Rights Act and vice versa.”

IHSA Board President Dan Tulley, and IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson, who signed the letter, added, “The IHSA simply desires to comply with the law and takes no position on which of the foregoing is correct… Given the conflict described above, however, we are left in an untenable position.”

Earlier this month, the Department of Education referred an investigation into Maine schools to the Justice Department after the Trump administration said it violated federal anti-discrimination law by allowing biological male students to participate in girls’ sports.

“Where federal and state law conflict, states and state entities are required to follow federal law,” Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote, referring to Title IX, the federal civil rights law against sex discrimination that the Trump White House says prohibits trans athletes from competing on girls’ and women’s teams. Bondi promised legal action against states that refuse to comply with Trump’s order. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.