‘It will become increasingly dangerous for trans/non-binary folks to attend races’ in Trump’s America — professional triathlete and gravel racer says new mandates are ‘scary’

On Tuesday, January 20, 2025, newly inaugurated President Trump stood before his supporters and declared, “As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders — male and female.”

His executive order, titled "Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” mandates that all federal agencies and employees enforce sex-based rights and protections using these definitions, explicitly excluding the recognition of non-binary and other gender identities.

Today, President Trump signed another executive order, informally known as the "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" mandate. This order aims to bar individuals assigned male at birth from participating in women's sports.

"Under the Trump administration, we will defend the proud tradition of female athletes. We will not allow men to beat up, injure and cheat our women and our girls. From now on, women's sports will be only for women," Trump declared during the signing ceremony.

The mandate directs federal agencies to interpret Title IX—which prohibits sex discrimination in federally funded education programs—to exclude transgender girls and women from female sports categories. The White House expects sports organisations to revise their policies in accordance with the order.

"I'm sorry that it had to go down this way with Trump doing executive orders, but we're on the start of bringing fairness back to women athletes," Inga Thompson, a celebrated retired Olympic cyclist, told Cycling Weekly.

"It's all good for women athletes. Everything that [the White House] is pushing forward. I'm sorry that common sense couldn't have prevailed amongst the Democrats for this to happen, but if what it takes is somebody that you guys think is extreme coming in and doing something extreme to bring back women's sports, I have to support that."

What the mandates mean for competitive cycling in the U.S.

Since the mandate targets institutions that receive federal funding, the exact implications of this order for competitive cycling remain uncertain. Cycling Weekly's inquiries to USA Cycling, the sport's governing body in the United States, have gone unanswered for weeks. Similarly, race organisers, such as the Life Time Grand Prix, have declined to comment.

Yet President Trump’s executive orders will have significant implications for transgender and non-binary athletes and sporting institutions alike. And, given the administration's stance on recognising only two sexes, non-binary divisions in sports are unlikely to receive federal recognition or support. This could lead to the elimination of non-binary race categories and another restructuring of transgender participation policies.

"I would hope that USA Cycling will wake up and read the handwriting on the wall. [Its policies] are not fair to women athletes," Thompson said.

Thompson does not agree with USA Cycling's latest transgender participation policy, as it continues to allow transgender athletes to compete at the non-UCI level.

At the elite level, USA Cycling aligns itself with the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), which bans all transgender women from competing in the women's category at UCI-sanctioned events.

For non-UCI-sanctioned races, USA Cycling has employed a two-tiered system since January 2024, categorising transgender athletes into Group A or Group B based on their discipline and race category.

Group A athletes competing at the elite level (Pro, Category 1 and Category 2) must submit an "elite athlete fairness evaluation application," including medical documentation about testosterone levels.

Group B athletes competing at amateur and novice levels must complete a self-identity verification request.

Some championship events, such as the USA Cycling Cyclo-Cross and Gravel National Championships, also offer a non-binary category at the amateur level for racers who do not exclusively identify as male or female.

" If it's not a UCI-sanctioned event, they haven't changed anything at all.  They're going to be one of the last standouts of the national governing bodies to not see the handwriting on the wall," Thompson commented.

'It feels pretty scary and insane'

For transgender and non-binary cyclists, the administration’s executive orders are deeply distressing.

“It feels pretty scary and insane. I am so worried about my queer (gravel and otherwise) family in the U.S.,” Rach McBride told Cycling Weekly.

McBride is a Canadian non-binary professional triathlete and gravel racer with a big race calendar in the United States.

“Part of me would love to avoid supporting the U.S. in any way, but at the same time, I cannot leave my friends behind. Now more than ever, it’s important to stay strong and visible. I worry about the mental health of the community, and I’m deeply concerned about the lives of trans and non-binary youth,” they said.

McBride expressed fears about the growing hostility transgender athletes might face at competitions.

“It will become increasingly dangerous for trans and non-binary folks to attend these races,” they said, fearing that “hateful rhetoric and violence become more ‘acceptable’ with reinforcement from the U.S. government.”

McBride called on the racing community to create a safe space for all cyclists.

“We can't fight this fight alone. I think now more than ever it's time for race organisers to step up and use their safety, privilege, and voice to amplify the rights and existence of trans and nonbinary folks and create an actively safe space,” they said.

At this juncture, the future of non-binary race categories and trans participation in domestic cycling remains uncertain and evolving. Cycling Weekly will continue to monitor and report on any developments.