Victory for Women: UPenn Reverses Course, Maryland Must Follow
This month, the University of Pennsylvania, the Ivy League school that sparked national outrage by allowing a biological male, “Lia” Thomas, to dominate women’s collegiate swimming, reversed course. In a remarkable settlement with the Trump administration, UPenn agreed to comply with Title IX, stop prioritizing transgender ideology over women’s rights, and issue personal apologies to the female athletes whose awards and opportunities were stolen. This victory for women’s sports did not happen in a vacuum. Shortly after taking office, President Donald Trump signed two executive orders: “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government” and “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports.” These directives made clear that under federal law, “sex” refers to biological reality—male and female—not subjective gender identity. The second order specifically declared that it is the policy of the United States to oppose male participation in women’s sports, and instructed the Department of Education, in coordination with the Attorney General, to enforce this standard through Title IX. Just one day after issuing that order, the Trump administration launched a formal Title IX investigation into UPenn for its decision to allow Lia Thomas, a male athlete, to compete in women’s swimming. That investigation