President Trump has followed through on his promise to withhold federal funding from Maine for allowing transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has paused funding to the University of Maine System, citing potential Title VI or Title IX violations. However, a UMS spokesman argues that the schools do not violate the Trump administration’s transgender athlete executive order as they are NCAA members which prohibit males from competing in women’s sports. Maine had come under scrutiny after male transgender athletes won state titles in girls’ sports, prompting a four-day investigation by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services which concluded that Maine violated Title IX in two cases.
The issue has sparked controversy within the Maine legislature, with a Republican representative facing censure for posting a picture of a transgender athlete and subsequently filing a lawsuit to regain her privileges. Maine Republicans have introduced legislation to ban males from women’s sports, while Democrats have expressed little support for the practice. A New York Times poll found that 79% of Americans oppose males competing in women’s sports, with bipartisan opposition. This move by President Trump has reignited the debate over transgender athletes in sports and raised questions about federal funding for states that allow such participation.
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