Once trans women begin to win, they often face pushback, stricter regulations, and body policing because they’re now perceived to be a threat to the status quo. Sara Hovda, a 30-year-old trans woman, grew up playing basketball, football, and track on boys’ teams in Minneapolis. The current push by anti-trans groups to weaponize Title IX to exclude trans girls from girls’ athletics is “such a misrepresentation” of the legislation, says Pieper. The Biden administration has affirmed that Title IX protects LGBTQ students, which includes transgender athletes. “That, I think, is where we really saw the potential transformative power of Title IX in a school setting,” Jackson says.