MONTREAL – A Montreal Gaelic sports club says it won’t travel to the United States this summer for tournaments because of the policies of the Trump administration on transgender, nonbinary and gender non-conforming athletes.
The Montreal Shamrocks Gaelic Athletic Club says some members fear for their security in the U.S., and as a result the club declined invitations to compete in major Gaelic sports tournaments in Boston, Albany and Philadelphia.
Since returning to office, U.S. President Donald Trump has signed a host of executive orders targeting the transgender community, including a ban on transgender athletes participating in girl’s and women’s sports.
Trump has also signed orders to halt federal funding for gender-affirming health care for people under the age of 19, and to require that the federal government use only male and female sex designations on official documents.
The Montreal athletes were invited to the U.S. to compete in camogie, hurling, and Gaelic football, which is a cross between soccer and rugby.
The club says it will focus on preparing for competitions held in Canada this year.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 6, 2025.
—With files from The Associated Press
