Braun signs order to ban transgender women and girls from sports. Advocates say it's dehumanizing

Gov. Mike Braun signed an executive order Tuesday to align with federal moves to ban transgender women and girls from playing sports.

Advocates say the orders are products of a nationwide campaign of misinformation and paranoia targeting transgender people. Braun said the executive order is meant to support House Bill 1041, a measure moving through the legislature to ban transgender women from playing in collegiate athletics.

"Whatever is crafted in legislation — whether it adds to it, takes away from it — I’m guessing the intended purpose is going to be the same," Braun said.

The executive order directs the Indiana Commission for Higher Education to follow the 2020 Title IX rule, rather than the Biden administration’s 2024 rule. The U.S. Department of Education announced on Jan. 31 it would hold K-12 schools and higher educational institutions to the 2020 rule.

Braun also signed a second order for executive branch agencies to “enforce the biological binary” of gender. It creates definitions and bans gender-neutral language to acknowledge transgender and nonbinary Hoosiers.

However, Braun said the order is a "declaration" of the state’s position — and makes no changes.

"What derives from it or what else might be impacted by it, that remains to be seen," Braun said.

Advocates say, even if the executive orders make no real changes, political leaders "dehumanizing" transgender Hoosiers is dangerous. Zoe O'Haillin-Berne is the director of engagement for Indiana Youth Group, or IYG.

"The studies show, when this kind of rhetoric happens, violence happens. So, our big thing, the thing we’re screaming as much as we can is: We just need people to tone down this rhetoric, before someone gets hurt," she said. "Because it’s likely going to be a child."
 

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Further, O’Haillin-Berne said these orders "vilify" transgender Hoosiers.

"In general, this rhetoric as a whole is just telling trans people, 'you're not welcome here, you don’t belong here.' And that’s devastating at any age," she said.

O'Haillin-Berne said these political acts are largely built off of misinformation about transgender Americans.

"Trans and nonbinary people are not a threat. They're not an enemy. They're not a villain. They're your neighbors," she said. "They’re the kid next door. They're the family across the street. They're the people in your churches and synagogues. They are part of this community, of society. They are Hoosiers as well."

Lauren is Indiana Public Broadcasting's digital editor. Contact her at lauren@ipbnews.org or follow her on Bluesky at @laurenechapman.bsky.social.