Chicago City Wire

GOP activist Mark Weyermuller is pushing back on the Illinois High School Association's (IHSA) refusal to enforce a federal ban on biological males competing in female sports, accusing the organization of undermining fairness and safety for young female athletes.

Weyermuller, a retired realtor and occasional contributor to Illinois Review, condemned the IHSA’s decision to defy President Donald Trump’s February 5 executive order that restricts participation in women’s sports to biological females.

“There are only two genders, males and females, and you cannot change your gender,” Weyermuller told Chicago City Wire. “Biological males should never play women's sports as they cannot ‘pretend’ to be girls whatever they think.”

Weyermuller's outcry comes after the IHSA announced this month that it would not comply with President Donald Trump’s February 5 executive order, titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports.” 

The executive order mandates that women’s sports categories be reserved for individuals assigned female at birth and threatens to revoke federal funding from institutions that violate the policy. It also directs the Departments of Education and Justice to ensure compliance and instructs immigration authorities to deny entry to males intending to compete in women’s sports. Trump’s directive also tasks the State Department with promoting sex-based definitions of athletic categories globally, including influencing the International Olympic Committee. 

The IHSA maintains that its current policy, which allows student-athletes to compete according to their gender identity, aligns with the Illinois Human Rights Act. The organization noted it is a private, nonprofit body that does not receive state or federal funding, insulating it from the financial penalties outlined in the executive order.

“Men should never be in a girls locker room or bathroom and again, you cannot change your gender,” Weyermuller said. 

The policy clash comes amid federal investigations into Illinois schools, including Deerfield Middle School, where female students say they were forced to undress in a locker room with a biological male who identifies as female. 

Conservative group Awake Illinois condemned the IHSA, saying it was “prioritizing ideology over the rights and safety of girls.”

The IHSA Board of Directors has declined to comment publicly on the issue, even as pressure mounts from lawmakers and advocacy groups.

IHSA Assistant Executive Director Matt Troha said the organization has not recently changed its stance on transgender participation and confirmed "no new votes had been taken by its Board of Directors."

"There is a law in Illinois that has existed for many years that allows participation by transgender student-athletes in IHSA State Series (post-season) competition,” Troha told Prairie State Wire. “President Trump’s Executive Order obviously conflicts with that, and we have reached out to state lawmakers seeking clarification on remaining in legal compliance.” 

The IHSA reiterated its stance in an April 15 letter to 40 Republican state lawmakers who sought clarification on whether it would enforce the federal directive. They sent a letter to the association on March 17, warning that noncompliance could lead to federal consequences and asserting that female athletes deserve fair and protected competition.