Trans Inclusion in Athletics
The Case for Transgender Inclusion in Athletics
Coriann Dorgay
Idaho was sued by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) earlier this year on behalf of two athletes, one transgender and one cisgender, when it became the first state to pass a sweeping ban on transgender people’s participation in athletics. The ACLU is also defending the rights of two transgender athletes in Connecticut in a lawsuit brought by cisgender athletes seeking to strike down the state’s inclusive policy. The recent supreme court ruling on transgender protection in the workplace may help the ACLU in these legal battles.
Trans-exclusionary athletic policies are not a new phenomenon: they often find their origins in Cold War era female sex-testing policies. These sex verification policies were demeaning and humiliating, did not catch imposters posing as women, and tended to instead create issues for women with a variety of intersex conditions (Flores et al., 2020). In the US today, there exists a confusing patchwork of policies about transgender participation in athletics, typically reliant on where an individual lives. Some states, such as Connecticut, have inclusive policies and others have exclusionary policies which force transgender athletes to compete on the gendered team that matches their sex assigned at birth rather than their gender identity. At the collegiate level, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) requires male-to-female athletes complete one year of hormone therapy prior to competing on a female athletic team (NCAA, 2011, p.13).
Concerns surrounding transgender athletes competing on the team that reflects their gender identity often focus on trans female students, where questions are raised about unfair advantages these athletes may have. Creating policies based on these concerns invites forms of gender policing that will take us back to the Cold War era, where any woman could be subjected to invasive tests or accusations of being too good at their sport to be a “real” woman. These policies harm cis women as well, since many people who are not transgender may have hormones levels outside of the typical ranges for their assigned sex. It is also vital to consider the fact that transgender athletes vary in athletic ability just like cisgender athletes. The NCAA recognize this in their statement on the inclusion of transgender athletes, stating that a “male-to-female transgender woman may be small and slight, even if she is not on hormone blockers or taking estrogen. … The assumption that all male-bodied people are taller, stronger, and more highly skilled in a sport than all female-bodied people is not accurate.” (NCAA, 2011, p. 7) In fact, to further illustrate this, the cisgender athletes in Connecticut have consistently performed as well as, or better than, their competitors who they claim have an unfair advantage because they are transgender. Furthermore, allowing transgender athletes to compete on the teams that are consistent with their gender identity promotes values of non-discrimination and inclusion among all student athletes (Strangio & Arkles, 2020). Studies have also shown participating in athletics to be a protective factor against the negative effects of bullying and harassment - forms of victimization often faced by transgender individuals at school (Buzuvis, 2012).
But even without considering the health benefits for transgender individuals, athletics should be open to them for one simple reason: they are no less deserving of the opportunity to compete. As Lindsay Hecox, the face of the lawsuit against Idaho’s trans-exclusionary policy, says: “I just want to run.” (Kliegman, 2020)
References:
Buzuvis, E. (2012). Including transgender athletes in sex-segregated sport. In G. B.
Cunningham (Ed.), Sexual orientation and gender identity in sport: Essays from activists, coaches, and scholars (pp. 23-34). College Station, TX: Center for Sport Management Research and Education.
Flores, A.R., Haider-Markel, D.P., Lewis, D.C., Miller, P.R., Tadlock, B.L. & Taylor, J.K. (2020).
Public attitudes about transgender participation in sports: The roles of gender, gender identity conformity, and sports fandom. Sex Roles. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-019-01114-z
Kliegman, J. (2020, June 30). Idaho banned trans athletes from women’s sports. She’s fighting
back. Sports Illustrated.
https://www.si.com/sports-illustrated/2020/06/30/idaho-transgender-ban-fighting-back
National Collegiate Athletic Association. (2011). NCAA inclusion of transgender student
athletes. https://www.ncaa.org/sites/default/files/Transgender_Handbook_2011_Final.pdf
Strangio, C. & Arkles, G. (2020, April 30). Four myths about trans athletes, debunked. American
Civil Liberties Union. https://www.aclu.org/news/lgbt-rights/four-myths-about-trans-athletes-debunked/