Northeastern Athletics has drastically changed a web page outlining its policies of acceptance toward nonbinary and transgender athletes following President Donald Trump’s Feb. 5 executive order banning transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports.
The Huntington News identified the changed web page April 16, but it’s unclear when it was updated.
Northeastern’s senior media relations specialist, Ed Gavaghan, said in an email to The Huntington News that “all varsity sports must follow the NCAA guidelines. This follows the Feb. 5 executive order by the White House.”
The Northeastern Athletics “Policy On Belonging” page was formerly titled “Trans and Non Binary Inclusion Policy and Guiding Principles.” Before, the page explicitly said “people of trans identities have equal opportunities to participate in sport programs” and outlined rules on which categories athletes undergoing hormone therapy should compete in.
The page now provides a link to the NCAA Participation Policy for Transgender Student-Athletes, which was updated Feb. 6 in response to Trump’s executive order and now states that “A student-athlete assigned male at birth may not compete on a women’s team.” But they may still practice on the team consistent with their gender identity, according to the policy.
Student-athletes assigned female at birth who have begun taking hormone therapy also cannot play but can continue practicing with a women’s team. Athletes can practice and compete with a men’s team regardless of sex assigned at birth or gender identity, according to the new policy.
“The policy is clear that there are no waivers available, and students assigned male at birth may not compete on a women’s team with amended birth certificates or other forms of ID,” the NCAA’s updated policy reads. “Student-athletes assigned male at birth may not receive athletic scholarships that are otherwise designated for women.”
NCAA President Charlie Baker told the Senate in December that there were fewer than 10 transgender athletes in the association. It’s not clear how many transgender athletes there are, if any, at Northeastern.
It’s not clear when the university altered the original inclusive policy website, but Internet Archive results reveal the page was archived as recently as Feb. 14, nine days after Trump signed the executive order.
“Northeastern adheres to NCAA rules and regulations and will remain well-informed of and current with eligibility requirements that may impact student-athletes,” Northeastern’s updated web page reads.
The archived web page said that “failing to respect an individual’s gender identity or expression by continuing to use an incorrect name or incorrect chosen pronouns is discriminatory and will not be tolerated.”
The current page states that Northeastern Athletics seeks to provide “a safe, supportive and respectful environment for all students, participants, coaches, administrators and staff regardless of race, national or ethnic origin, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression or other protected characteristic.”
The Trump administration is turning up the heat on universities to ensure compliance with its slew of policies targeting higher education institutions by threatening to cut federal funding, and several schools have shifted messaging in response. Harvard Athletics removed the university’s transgender inclusion policy from its web page on Feb 5. At the University of Pennsylvania, a March 25 statement from the university’s president addressed the suspension of $175 million in federal funding due to a transgender athlete competing on its women’s swim team in 2022.
On April 16, the Trump administration sued the Maine Department of Education “for not complying with the government’s push to ban transgender athletes in girls and women’s sports sports,” according to ESPN. On March 17, Trump’s Department of Health and Human Services accused Maine of violating Title IX laws by allowing transgender girls to participate in women’s sports teams and gave them 10 days to “resolve the matter…or risk referral to the U.S. Department of Justice for appropriate action.”
In February, a Northeastern associate teaching professor in Khoury College wrote an open letter asking for the university to advocate for its LGBTQ+ students and faculty in light of Trump’s executive orders. Days later, Northeastern updated its “Navigating a New Political Landscape: Frequently Asked Questions” page to include that it is committed to the safety of its LGBTQ+ faculty and students. However, students and faculty told The News they feel scared of consequences and possible retaliation as government policies become further reaching.
In January, Northeastern eliminated its diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, website, rebranding it to “Belonging at Northeastern.” By early February, all of Northeastern’s ten colleges and schools removed all DEI messaging.
“[The Policy on Nondiscrimination and Equal Opportunity], and the commitment we reaffirm here, includes unwavering support and respect for transgender members of our community across all of our campuses,” Northeastern’s FAQ page reads. “If these individuals have any concerns, we encourage them to contact our wellness, health and counseling, or ombuds services, or contact human resources or student life for support.”
