Virginia’s governor, Glenn Youngkin, is directing the state to issue regulations preventing transgender athletes from competing on sports teams or using locker rooms that do not correspond to their biological sex. 

In recent months, several school districts in northern Virginia have come under scrutiny over their policies allowing transgender students to use locker rooms that align with their gender identities.

Mr. Youngkin issued an executive order Thursday that directs the Virginia Board of Health to craft regulations to prevent biological males from competing on female-only sports teams and from using “designated female spaces where females are likely to be in a state of undress.”

“The health and safety of women and girls in sex separated spaces and participating in athletic competitions is in serious jeopardy due to irresponsible policies, including those that allow known sex offenders to hunt little girls in public locker rooms,” Mr. Youngkin said. “It is an embarrassment and a tragedy that certain individuals continue to turn a blind eye to these clear violations of the law and of the health, safety, privacy, dignity, and respect of Virginians.”

In the text of the order, Mr. Youngkin notes that the Trump administration found that five school districts in Northern Virginia violated Title IX due to their transgender policies.

He said the issue of keeping sex-separate facilities is “even more acute in our public schools” as he noted that “students of both sexes have made high-profile complaints” about “harassment” from “students of the opposite sex within intimate spaces such as locker rooms.”

Specifically, Mr. Youngkin noted that Loudoun County Public Schools issued a suspension for two male students accused of harassing a biological female student, who identifies as male and was in the boys’ locker room. However, the governor noted the Department of Education said on September 16 that the school violated Title IX and “retaliated against the boys,” who were seen on video asking why there was a girl in the boys’ locker room. The video footage did not show the boys using any harassing language.

Mr. Youngkin also pointed out that a complaint filed with the Department of Education accused Fairfax County Public Schools of declining to take action to stop a male student from entering the girls’ locker room and watching female students change. 

The process of crafting the new regulations is expected to take roughly 18 to 24 months. There could be legal challenges to it. Fairfax County Public Schools and Arlington Public Schools are suing the Trump administration over its threat to rescind federal funds if they do not overturn policies that allow students to use bathrooms and locker rooms that align with their gender identities.

Mr. Youngkin’s order was criticized by LGBTQ advocacy organizations. The executive director of Equality Virginia, Narissa Rahaman, told the Washington Post, “The Governor is throwing Hail Mary after Hail Mary to distract Virginians from the very real public health issues we are facing.”

“Our message to the Governor — transgender Virginians have always existed, always will, and nothing will ever change that,” Ms. Rahaman said. 

Conservatives celebrated Mr. Youngkin’s announcement. The Independent Women’s Forum wrote on X, “Thank you, Gov. Youngkin, for standing with women!”

“Single-sex spaces are rooted in biological & objective truth + are essential to protect women, not hold us back,” the group said. 

A conservative consultant, Carly Bird, warned that the November gubernatorial election in Virginia could determine the future of the order, as she predicted the Democratic candidate, Abigail Spanberger, would rescind it if she wins. 

If the regulations are issued, Virginia would become the 28th state to prevent transgender athletes from competing on sports teams that do not correspond to their biological sex.