Macon Reporter

A political and cultural battle over transgender participation in high school sports has intensified as the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) announced it will not comply with President Donald Trump’s executive order banning biological males from competing in female athletic categories. 

The move has drawn sharp criticism from state lawmakers, including State Rep. Regan Deering (R-Macon), who accused the IHSA of abandoning fairness and safety for Illinois girls.

Deering said she views the issue as deeply personal and a matter of basic fairness.

“As a mom of two daughters, I believe every girl deserves the opportunity to compete on a level playing field,” Deering told the Macon Reporter. “I want my daughters, and every young woman, to feel safe, respected, and protected. And I want them to gain the confidence, camaraderie, and strength that so many girls develop through sports. That’s not extreme. That’s common sense.” 

The IHSA, which governs high school athletics in Illinois, said in a recent letter to legislators that it will maintain its current policy, which allows biological males to compete in female sports based on their gender identity. 

The association cited the Illinois Human Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on gender identity, and emphasized that it receives no federal or state funding. 

Conservative group Awake Illinois called the IHSA’s stance “a betrayal of girls’ rights.”  

“By siding with radical gender ideology over the concerns of parents, coaches, and athletes, the IHSA is dismissing the very real physical differences in competition—and silencing the voices of girls who have trained their whole lives for a fair shot,” Deering said.

Deering insisted that the issue transcends partisan lines.

“Let’s be clear: fairness in girls’ sports is not up for negotiation,” Deering said. “Privacy and safety are not political issues. And we will not stay silent while unelected bureaucrats and politically pressured institutions make decisions that compromise our daughters’ futures.” 

The IHSA’s statement came in response to a letter signed by 40 GOP legislators, including Deering, requesting clarity on the IHSA’s stance in regard to Trump’s Feb. 5 executive order titled "Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports," which mandates that sports designated for women be reserved for biological females, citing Title IX and recent legal rulings. 

Trump’s executive order directs federal agencies to withhold funds from non-compliant institutions and calls on the State Department to advocate internationally for sex-based athletic definitions.

Deering said she believes the IHSA is in a tough position and placed blame on Governor J.B. Pritzker for what she described as a broader political agenda.

“I recognize the IHSA is in an ‘untenable position,’ but that doesn’t absolve them of responsibility,” she said. “Governor Pritzker has put them there because he believes his path to the White House runs through making Illinois the most progressive state in the country. But make no mistake: the IHSA has chosen a side. And it’s not with the families they’re supposed to serve.” 

Gov. Pritzker and his cousin, Jennifer Pritzker, a transgender activist born James Nicholas Pritzker, have funded numerous initiatives promoting "synthetic sex identities."  

Gov. Pritzker has signed legislation incorporating radical gender theory into Illinois' educational system and funded Lurie Children’s Hospital, which performed sex-change procedures on minors until recently abandoning the program under pressure from a separate Trump executive order.

Critics argue the efforts of the Pritzkers have contributed to a broader "transgender empire" reshaping American society, particularly in schools and medical institutions.

Deering added Pritzker and the IHSA have been aligned against parents’ rights in the recent past as well. 

“We’ve seen this story before,” she said. “The Governor forced unlawful mask mandates on our schools, and it took brave families filing lawsuits to win back local control. Now it’s girls’ sports and locker room privacy.” 

Notably, the White House updated its official coronavirus guidance in the past week, acknowledging that public health officials failed to provide consistent or conclusive evidence on the effectiveness of face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The revised language on the administration’s website states there was “no conclusive evidence that masks effectively protected Americans from COVID-19” and criticizes health authorities for shifting their guidance without offering clear scientific data, a move the administration says contributed to a rise in public distrust.

The IHSA’s decision comes amid ongoing federal investigations into several Illinois institutions including the Illinois Department of Education, Chicago Public Schools District 299 and locally at Deerfield Public Schools District 109 following complaints about biological males being allowed girls’ spaces, such as locker rooms. 

At Deerfield Middle School, female students alleged they were required to undress in the presence of a male student who identifies as female, prompting Title IX concerns and public outcry. 

“At the end of the day, this is about protecting opportunity and dignity for every young woman in Illinois,” Deering said. “I’ll never stop fighting to make sure they have both.”

Deering represents the 88th House District, which includes spans parts of Macon, McLean, Piatt, De Witt and Livingston counties, as well as the cities of Decatur, Bloomington, Monticello, Forsyth, Long Creek, Downs, Farmer City, Le Roy, Heyworth and Saybrook.