The Conservative administration has implemented a decisive measure by withdrawing £175 million (€161 million) in funding from the University of Pennsylvania, the institution where the well-known transgender athlete and 2022 NCAA women’s champion previously competed.
United States President Donald Trump, consistently in the media spotlight, has demonstrated his determination to advance his policy objectives, regardless of public sentiment. When pursuing a particular direction, he maintains his position, though the ethical considerations remain subject to varying interpretations. In a further display of his policy convictions, on 5 February, the former businessman enacted a contentious executive order targeting the exclusion of transgender athletes from women’s sporting competitions.
The University of Pennsylvania has experienced immediate consequences from this ruling. The institution—commonly referred to as Penn State—gained significant attention when transgender swimmer Lia Thomas secured victory in the 500-yard freestyle event at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Women’s Championships in 2022. Following this directive, the federal administration withdrew substantial financial support previously allocated to the university.
The Republican president’s executive order enables federal bodies to suspend funding should an organisation not adhere to the interpretation of Title IX concerning sex-based discrimination in educational establishments. The administration has now redefined ‘sex’ to mean biological sex at birth, resulting in a fiscal impasse where political decisions and fundamental principles intersect within the Department of Defence and the Department of Health and Human Services. The University of Pennsylvania, a distinguished member of the Ivy League, currently shoulders the impact of this unequivocal directive.
Ron Ozio, a spokesperson for the collegiate institution, stated that they had not received any official notification about the suspension of funds but accentuated that “Penn has always adhered to NCAA and Ivy League policies regarding student participation in sports teams.” He also stressed that it has “fully complied with applicable regulations, not just for Penn, but for all our peer institutions in the NCAA and Ivy League.” In fact, when Thomas competed with the women’s team in 2021, the NCAA stood in need of a minimum of 12 months of hormone therapy for transition—a requirement the swimmer far exceeded, having completed 31 months.
Furthermore, the investigation opened by the Office for Civil Rights at the Department of Education concerns the swimmer, who made history by becoming the first openly transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I title in 2022. Thomas, who graduated that same year, competed under the guidelines set by the NCAA at the time, which allowed the participation of transgender athletes who had completed one year of hormone replacement therapy. However, the association’s policy changed swiftly the day after Trump’s executive order was signed, ushering in a paradigm shift that prioritises birth-assigned gender over lived identity.
Meanwhile, the funding freeze has been backed by figures such as Riley Gaines, the former swimmer and conservative activist, who tied Thomas for fifth in the 200-yard freestyle at the 2022 championships. Speaking to FOX News, the Nashville native said the Trump administration “has once again taken swift action to stand up for common sense and preserve opportunities for women by pausing the $175 million (€161 million) in federal funding for the University of Pennsylvania.”
