Indiana Gov. Mike Braun signed two executive orders on March 4 aimed at reinforcing the state’s legal definition of sex and ensuring what he describes as fairness in women’s sports.
The orders, which come on the heels of International Women’s Day on March 8, drew swift responses from advocacy organizations, with some praising the measures and others condemning them as harmful to transgender Hoosiers.
The first order, Executive Order 25-35, mandates Indiana’s state educational institutions comply with the 2020 Title IX Rule rather than the Biden administration’s 2024 reinterpretation, which extends protections based on gender identity.
Braun asserts that this order is necessary to preserve opportunities for women in collegiate sports by barring transgender women from competing against cisgender women.
“Women’s sports create opportunities for young women to earn scholarships and develop leadership skills,” Braun said. “Hoosiers overwhelmingly don’t want those opportunities destroyed by allowing biological males to compete in women’s sports, and today’s executive order will make sure of that.”
The second order, Executive Order 25-36, establishes that Indiana law continues defining sex based on biological criteria rather than gender identity.
“Replacing the scientific fact of biological sex with the always-changing, self-reported idea of ‘gender identity’ has real consequences: it puts women in danger in female-only spaces like prisons, it destroys opportunities for women in sports, and it tells troubled kids that their mental health problems can be solved with sterilizing drugs and irreversible sex change operations,” Braun said. “Indiana will not go along with this radical new idea of what gender means, and we will not allow tax dollars to be used to promote this ideology.”
Trump bans transgender athletes from women’s sports
Braun framed the order as a rejection of what he dubbed “extreme gender ideology.”
LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations and civil rights groups quickly denounced Bruan’s executive orders, arguing they unfairly target transgender individuals and are rooted in misinformation.
Indiana Youth Group (IYG), a nonprofit dedicated to supporting LGBTQ+ youth, strongly condemned the measures.
“These orders are the product of a nationwide campaign of misinformation and paranoia targeting transgender people — especially youth. While there are exactly zero transgender girls or women currently participating in K-12 or college sports in Indiana, there are thousands of transgender Hoosiers who are terrified by the way politicians have targeted them and their families for political gain,” IYG said in a statement.
IYG went on to say that the orders are a product of “a nationwide campaign of misinformation and paranoia targeting transgender people.”
Additionally, the organization took issue with what it described as “dehumanizing language” used in the executive orders, cautioning that such rhetoric fuels prejudice and violence against the transgender community.
“We’ll say it again: It is time to cool down the rhetoric before someone gets hurt,” IYG’s statement concluded.
Furthermore, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Indiana (ACLU) ssued a strongly worded statement, arguing that the orders are not about protecting women’s sports but rather about erasing transgender Hoosiers from state recognition.
NCAA responds to EO concerning women’s sports and transgender participation
“Make no mistake, Tuesday’s Executive Orders are not pro-Indiana women; they are anti-transgender Hoosiers,” said Chris Daley, executive director of ACLU of Indiana. “Like other Indiana elected officials, the governor is trying to erase any state recognition of transgender Hoosiers and their families.”
Daley expressed apprehensions that the orders could extend beyond sports and affect essential services.
“If this order is interpreted to apply to basic government functions like driver’s licenses, it will put transgender people in our state at risk of harm,” Daley said.
The ACLU of Indiana further accuses Braun of prioritizing divisive executive actions over the state’s core issues.
“The governor came into office promising to focus on education, the economic health of families, quality of life for Hoosiers and government efficiency,” ACLU of Indiana said in a statement. “Instead, he is irresponsibly wielding executive authority to put into practice the beliefs of a small number of Hoosiers who don’t like transgender people and immigrants or support medical privacy for women in the state.”
While supporters of the executive orders argue they reinforce fairness in athletics and protect women’s spaces, opponents view them as part of a more significant trend of legislative measures targeting transgender communities.
As discussions around gender identity and sports participation continue, the impact of Braun’s executive orders remains to be seen. Whether these policies will withstand legal challenges or spur legislative action in Indiana’s General Assembly is uncertain, but one thing is clear: the debate over transgender rights and women’s sports in Indiana is far from over.
Contact Multi-Media & Senior Sports Reporter Noral Parham at 317-762-7846. Follow him on TikTok @3Noral. For more news, click here.
Noral Parham is the multi-media & senior sports reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder, one of the oldest Black publications in the country. Parham has worked with various leagues to provide a diverse perspective in sports, including the Big Ten, Big East, IHSAA, IndyCar, MLB, NHRA, NFL, NBA, WNBA, WWE and the Olympics. Prior to joining the Recorder, Parham served as the community advocate of the MLK Center in Indianapolis and senior copywriter for an e-commerce and marketing firm in Denver.
