Psaki defends Biden’s trans rights order

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki has defended US President Joe Biden’s executive order that called on schools across the country to permit students to participate in sports under their chosen gender identity.

When asked by a reporter on Tuesday what Mr Biden’s message was to school officials tackling the disputes regarding transgender and cisgender girls competing together, particularly for college scholarships, Ms Psaki said: “The President’s belief is that trans rights are human rights.”

“And that’s why he signed that executive order,” she added. “And in terms of determinations by universities and colleges, I would certainly defer to them.”

The executive order, signed the day after Mr Biden entered office on January 21, resurfaced following tough questioning of Education Secretary nominee Miguel Cardona by Republican Senator Rand Paul during his confirmation hearing last week, Fox News reports.

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Mr Paul claimed that allowing transgender girls — who were assigned as male at birth but identify as female — to participate in women’s sports “would completely destroy girls’ athletics” by depriving female athletes the opportunity to fairly compete and obtain scholarships.

“I think it’s the legal responsibility for schools to provide opportunities for students to participate in activities and this includes students who are transgender,” Mr Cardona told Mr Paul during his hearing.

Several lawsuits across the nation have emerged after high school girls have challenged policies that allow transgender girls to compete in their field — alleging that transgender females have physical advantages over cisgender females, who identify as the sex they were assigned at birth.

In his executive order, President Biden said, “Children should be able to learn without worrying about whether they will be denied access to the rest room, the locker room, or school sports.”

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But the administration has not given any direction as to how public schools should handle tough questions surrounding what is considered fair for high school athletes — something that former US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, has voiced frustration over.

“Across the sporting world, the game is being rigged against women and in favour of biological men,” the South Carolina Republican wrote for the National Reviewon Monday.

“President Biden is the latest man to do the rigging, which is strange coming from someone billed as a defender of women.

“Generations of women fought hard to ensure that their daughters and granddaughters had a level playing field, because girls deserve the same chance as boys to play sports.”

Adding that “transgender kids deserve support and respect”, Ms Haley said “the fact remains, however, that biological boys and girls are built differently” and “the best male athletes have a natural advantage over the best female athletes”.

Mr Cardona acknowledged the “challenge” surrounding this topic during his confirmation hearing, and told senators that he “looked forward” to working with them on addressing this sensitive subject.

This article originally appeared on Fox News and is reproduced here with permission