The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) has made changes to their policies regarding transgender students. The updates went into effect starting on January 19, 2025. As a result, the changes will affect students participating in the Lake Country area’s Classic 8 Conference. The Classic 8 includes the Arrowhead, Catholic Memorial, Kettle Moraine, Mukwonago, Muskego, Oconomowoc, Waukesha North, Waukesha South, and Waukesha West high schools.
The WIAA had to update its policies regarding transgender students after President Donald Trump signed an executive order that prevented transgender athletes from participating in girls and women’s sports. His order threatened to withhold federal funding from sports programs that didn’t adhere to Title IX. Under the authority of President Trump’s administration, a person’s gender is determined by what they are assigned at birth.
The WIAA released a statement shortly afterwards, claiming that “Today the WIAA Board of Control voted to update the organization’s policy regarding student-athlete eligibility – affirming its compliance with federal directives that only students designated as females at birth will be allowed to participate in girls competitions.”
The updated policy followed the federal expectations outlined by President Trump’s administration. The policy defines the differences between ‘gender identity’ and ‘sex assigned at birth’. The new changes did not affect the WIAA boys sports division. However, the WIAA girls sports division saw several updates.
For competitions, “A student-athlete whose Sex Assigned at Birth is male may not compete in a WIAA Girl’s Sport.” Additionally, “A student-athlete whose Sex Assigned at Birth is female who has begun hormone therapy (e.g., testosterone) may not compete in a WIAA Girl’s Sport.”
However, the guidelines for non-official competitions, such as practices, adhere to a different set of guidelines. The WIAA has stated that “A student-athlete whose Sex Assigned at Birth is male may practice in a WIAA Girl’s Sport with their Gender Identity and receive all other benefits applicable to student-athletes who are otherwise eligible for practice.” This means that boys that identify as girls who are practicing on a girls team are allowed all of the benefits given to girl players. This would include equal access to the same locker rooms, bathrooms, and shower spaces.
These new guidelines would affect all of the high schools who fall under the WIAA’s jurisdiction. Parents’, students’, and the school districts’ understanding of how to implement these protocols is essential to ensuring both safety and clarity. The schools in Lake Country are integral to the community, as are the sporting programs they foster. School athletic programs’ transparency is critical to maintaining the tradition of quality sportsmanship that has existed in the Classic 8 Conference since its founding in 1997.
