In the Church of Woke, few doctrines are held as sacred as transgender ideology. The faithful recite their pronouns with religious fervor, while demanding everyone else participate in their reality-defying rituals. Nowhere has this ideological crusade been more damaging than in women’s sports, where biological males have been stealing medals, scholarships, and opportunities from female athletes who’ve trained their entire lives for fair competition.

Maine has been among the most devoted disciples of this progressive orthodoxy. When President Trump issued his executive order protecting women’s sports earlier this year, Maine officials responded with predictable outrage. Governor Janet Mills and university administrators across the state vowed resistance, with University of Maine officials initially suggesting they would challenge the order in court rather than “discriminate” against transgender athletes.

Money Talks, Woke Walks

But it seems the religion of woke has its limits – especially when the collection plate stops getting filled. The University of Maine System has officially caved to federal pressure and agreed to comply with President Trump’s executive order keeping biological males out of women’s sports.

From ‘USDA Press Release’:
After the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) initiated a Title IX compliance review regarding federal funding, the University of Maine System (UMaine) has clearly communicated its compliance with Title IX’s requirement to protect equal opportunities for women and girls to compete in safe and fair sports, as articulated in President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order.

The USDA announcement didn’t mince words, stating that “UMaine’s decision to side with sanity is a win for women and girls in Maine.” The agency further confirmed that UMaine has explicitly agreed not to “permit a male student-athlete to identify as a female student-athlete to establish individual eligibility for NCAA-sanctioned women’s sports” and will not “permit a male to participate in individual or team contact sports with females.”

This dramatic reversal comes after the university found itself staring down the barrel of a $30 million funding cut. According to The Maine Wire, USDA grants nearly $30 million annually to the UMaine system – money that was briefly frozen during the standoff before being released once compliance was confirmed.

Follow the Money or Face the Music

The federal government wasn’t playing games with its enforcement. The USDA made it crystal clear that any false claims regarding compliance would result in “onerous and even potentially criminal financial liability.” Nothing focuses an administrator’s mind quite like the prospect of personal liability for misusing federal funds.

University officials, who just weeks ago were proudly standing on their progressive principles, discovered those principles were surprisingly flexible when millions of dollars were at stake. The USDA’s message to the rest of Maine’s educational institutions couldn’t be clearer: “The choice for the rest of Maine is simple: protect equal opportunities for women, as required by law, or lose funding.”

Same Woke Circus, Different Tent

While this victory for women’s sports deserves celebration, there’s reason to remain vigilant. The University of Maine System appears to be playing semantic games with other aspects of President Trump’s orders targeting progressive ideology in education.

Earlier this month, UMaine hurriedly changed the name of its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) office in response to another executive order. However, as The Maine Wire reports, “school officials quickly confirmed that the work and mission of the office will remain the same.” This shell game suggests the university is looking for loopholes rather than genuinely embracing the spirit of the executive orders.

The DEI rebrand raises serious questions about whether UMaine’s compliance with the women’s sports directive is sincere or simply a temporary financial necessity. Will biological males suddenly reappear in women’s locker rooms and on women’s teams if a future administration reverses these protections? Based on the university’s obvious reluctance to abandon its progressive agenda, the answer seems likely to be yes.

Key Takeaways:

• The University of Maine System has agreed to comply with President Trump’s executive order preventing biological males from competing in women’s sports
• The USDA threatened to withhold $30 million in funding in addition to other penalties.
• While this represents a win for female athletes, the university’s simultaneous rebranding of its DEI office without changing its mission suggests continued resistance.

Sources: USDA, The Maine Wire