Former First Lady Melania Trump, a figure often seen as less politically outspoken than her husband, former President Donald Trump, has weighed in on the contentious debate surrounding transgender inclusion in women’s sports. While she emphasizes her support for the LGBTQIA+ community, Trump makes clear her opposition to transgender women participating in female athletics due to what she believes are inherent physical advantages.
In an excerpt from her new memoir, Melania, released Tuesday, the 54-year-old mother and former model declared it “unfair” for biological men to compete against women, citing differences in strength and speed as key reasons. “Male bodies generally have physical advantages: muscle strength, height, bone density, and lung capacity, that can affect fairness in competition, even at the high-school level,” Trump wrote, reflecting a viewpoint aligned with that of many conservative policymakers, including her husband.
Although Trump presents herself as an advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community, her remarks have added fuel to the already heated national debate on transgender athletes, an issue playing out prominently in the 2024 presidential election. “We must also ensure that our female athletes are protected and respected,” she wrote, further expressing concerns over privacy in locker rooms and the economic implications of allowing transgender women to compete in women’s sports.
The former First Lady believes these physical advantages undermine the integrity of women’s sports and could impact the earnings potential of female athletes. “This issue also has broader implications, including the loss of future earning potential as professional athletes and a potential setback for equal pay in sports,” she added.
A Divisive Issue in Politics
The Trumps have both taken hardline stances against transgender inclusion in sports, but Melania’s recent comments mark one of the rare occasions where she has voiced political opinions at odds with her husband’s party, particularly in her support for reproductive rights. Nevertheless, her position on transgender athletes mirrors Donald Trump’s long-standing opposition, which he has woven into his policy platform ahead of the 2024 election.
At a gathering of Moms for Liberty in August, a national group advocating conservative values in education, Donald Trump reiterated his opposition to transgender women competing in women’s sports, calling it a priority on his campaign agenda. He has also criticized gender-affirming healthcare and transgender rights more broadly, framing the debate as a fight for the preservation of “fairness” in sports and the protection of children.
In a recent series of ads launched during NFL football games, Donald Trump’s campaign attacked Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz for their stances on transgender rights, emphasizing, “Kamala is for they/them. President Trump is for you.” These slogans signal a broader Republican effort to appeal to conservative voters by capitalizing on divisions over transgender inclusion.
The Broader Impact on Transgender Rights
Melania Trump’s comments echo sentiments that have become prevalent among many Republicans but remain controversial. In framing transgender athletes as responsible for “divisions” in American society, she positions herself within a larger conservative critique of transgender inclusion in public life.
However, her perspective stands in opposition to a growing body of scientific evidence, including a 2021 study published by the National Library of Medicine, which found that testosterone-blocking treatments significantly reduce the physical advantages of transgender women athletes over time. This study aligns with the International Olympic Committee’s guidelines, which allow transgender women to compete provided they have maintained testosterone levels below a certain threshold.
Despite this, Melania Trump’s argument that even one transgender athlete could upset the balance of women’s sports reflects a viewpoint that prioritizes the protection of cisgender female athletes over the inclusion of transgender women. “High-school athletes often dedicate years to training with the hope of being recruited by universities. Seeing that dream collapse is an unnecessary and avoidable consequence,” she wrote.
Trump’s comments do not address transgender boys or men competing against their cisgender male counterparts, which some experts argue exposes inconsistencies in the broader argument of physical advantage.
Pushback from LGBTQ+ Advocates
LGBTQ+ advocacy groups have pushed back on the claims made by Trump and others, arguing that the focus on transgender athletes ignores the challenges transgender youth face in sports and other areas of public life. The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a leading LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, has called the exclusion of transgender athletes from sports both harmful and unnecessary.
“Preventing transgender athletes from competing in alignment with their gender identity sends a message that transgender people are not worthy of the same respect and opportunities as others,” said HRC President Kelley Robinson in a recent statement. Advocates point out that the number of transgender athletes in high school and college sports is very small, with just 34 openly transgender athletes having competed in U.S. college sports, according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
Furthermore, scientific research continues to challenge the notion of an inherent, permanent advantage for transgender athletes. The Women’s Sports Foundation highlights that for transgender women who transition before puberty, any competitive edge becomes nonexistent. Additionally, studies funded by the International Olympic Committee found that, although transgender women may retain slight advantages in some areas, their overall performance is often comparable to cisgender women’s.
Transvestigation and Online Backlash
In the midst of the media attention her comments have garnered, Melania Trump has also become the target of a bizarre online conspiracy theory known as “transvestigation.” Some right-wing conspiracy theorists have circulated claims on social media that the former First Lady herself is secretly transgender, pointing to various physical features they believe “prove” this unfounded theory. The idea, rooted in transphobia and misogyny, mirrors similar conspiracy theories that have targeted other high-profile women, including Michelle Obama and Taylor Swift.
The accusations, which have gained traction on platforms like X (formerly Twitter), involve users sharing photos of Melania with arrows and circles highlighting body parts they claim suggest she was born male. The baseless theory reflects the extreme nature of the anti-trans rhetoric that has surfaced online in recent years.
The Bottom Line
As the debate continues to intensify, it is clear that transgender inclusion in sports will remain a polarizing issue, especially as the 2024 presidential election approaches. Both Melania and Donald Trump’s stances on the matter will likely be central to the broader cultural and political battleground shaping their respective roles in public life.
Melania’s memoir, Melania, offers a glimpse into the former First Lady’s evolving political voice, one that both diverges and converges with her husband’s positions. While she has staked a claim as a supporter of LGBTQIA+ rights, her opposition to transgender athletes in women’s sports positions her firmly within the conservative camp on this hot-button issue.
As the campaign season unfolds, transgender rights, particularly in the realm of athletics, will likely remain at the forefront of political discourse, with the impact on LGBTQIA+ individuals continuing to spark national debate.
