Former US football star Megan Rapinoe has condemned Donald Trump's executive order banning transgender athletes from women's sports, describing it as "cruel and depraved".
The two-time World Cup winner made the remarks in an interview with MUNDIAL magazine.
Rapinoe vehemently disagreed with the policy, which was issued last month and has already prompted significant changes in collegiate sports regulations.
Trump's order, entitled "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports", directs US agencies to withdraw federal funding from schools that do not comply with the ban.
Former US football star Megan Rapinoe has condemned Donald Trump's executive order banning transgender athletes from women's sports, describing it as "cruel and depraved"
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The President claimed the policy was part of a package to "reclaim our culture and our laws".
The executive order took effect immediately upon its issuance in February 2025.
In her interview, Rapinoe challenged claims that the ban protects women's sports.
"Don't tell me it's about the rights of women's sports," she said. "That is totally disingenuous to say that."
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REUTERSShe added: "I think it's just really cruel. You know, if you strip it all back, it's just kind of cruel and depraved.
"This isn't an issue and you aren't going to be able to Executive Order trans people out of existence."
Since Trump's order, the NCAA, which regulates collegiate sport in the US, has amended its policy regarding transgender athletes.
The organisation now limits women's sports to student-athletes who were assigned female at birth.
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Rapinoe reflected on the broader context, saying: "We've just gone through a very long period over ten years of really needing to fight just to get to a baseline of, like, equal rights and non-discriminatory behaviour."
The issue of trans athletes in women's collegiate sports gained prominence when Lia Thomas became the first transgender swimmer to win an American collegiate title.
Thomas had hoped to compete at the Olympics, but these aspirations were halted after World Aquatics implemented rule changes.
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At the professional level, several sports governing bodies including athletics, swimming and golf have amended their policies to ban transgender women from elite female competition if they have gone through male puberty.
Trump's ban has faced opposition from other prominent sportswomen.
Former American basketball player Sue Bird was among 40 athletes who signed a letter in 2023 opposing the exclusion of trans athletes from women's sports.
According to NCAA officials, it is estimated that fewer than 10 transgender athletes currently play women's sports at partner schools.
Lia Thomas dominated the NCAA Swimming Championships in 2022GettyAt a professional level, the policy regarding trans athletes is set by individual governing bodies.
Policies at the professional level vary across different sports organisations.
Athletics and golf have joined swimming in amending their regulations regarding transgender women.
These sports now prohibit transgender women from competing in the female category at elite level if they have gone through male puberty.
