The subject of transgender athletes has been a hot button issue for many years now. It’s used as a wedge issue by political types, drives intense debate on social media, and generates plenty of buzz for your favorite cable news show. But, this isn’t just debate fodder for folks to turn into an intellectual exercise. Real lives are impacted by the often false narratives around transgender athletes.
What makes this so problematic is that so much of this debate has been hijacked by anti-transgender politicians and pundits who don’t care at all about the wellbeing of cis or trans athletes. They simply see the topic as a way to exploit fear and bigotry, sow division, and “other” a marginalized community. The way to achieve this is by knowingly providing false information to demonize trans people, especially trans girls.
The best way to counter this is to address the most damaging and prevailing myths about transgender athletes. This will lead people to the truth that transgender athlete participation helps, rather than hurts competitive athletic programs.
What Does it Mean to be a Transgender Athlete
Transgender athletes, which includes transgender student athletes and professionals have become a center topic of discussions on fairness and inclusion in sports. Being a transgender athlete should be participating in sports in a way that is consistent with their gender identity instead of joining teams or being categorized based on sex assigned at birth. It’s important to understand this in order to comprehend the lived experiences of trans women, men, and nonbinary athletes while addressing misconceptions about their participation in sports.
Key Terms: Transgender Athletes And Gender Identity
Gender identity is a person’s own sense of being, man, woman, or something else along the gender spectrum. This may not align with the gender they were given based on their biological sex traits.
Transgender athletes are people who participate in sports consistent with their gender identity. For example, a transgender boy (assigned female at birth) might join the boys wrestling team in school sports.
It’s important to understand this distinction for two reasons. First to clarify why there are sports governing bodies including local schools and elite sports organizations that allow students to compete in categories based on their gender identity. Their goal is to ensure meaningful competition while balancing fairness and inclusivity. Also, it pinpoints what people who are against this are opposed to on sports teams.
The Path of Trans Athletes in Sports
Transgender participation in sports has happened for decades, but there is more visibility now. Trans athletes are competing more openly at various levels. The first trans athlete in Olympic sports was Dr. Renee Richards who played women’s tennis in the 1970s. In the years since, these athletes have competed in everything from middle school team sports to professional sports leagues. This progress shows greater acceptance and understanding.
School sports offer transgender children and youth a sense of belonging and an enriching activity. Whether they are in elementary school, middle school, or high school, transgender student athletes benefit from opportunities to improve their physical and mental health, learn teamwork, and connect with friends. Excluding them from sports teams that are consistent with their gender identity can foster feelings of rejection and isolation.
Why Equitable Policies Matter For Transgender Athletes
Sports organizations and their governing bodies such as the IOC, NCAA, and various state-level athletic associations have published guidelines to ensure fairness in sports participation. Many have policies that require transgender girls and transgender women to take hormones or meet other criteria to compete in women’s categories.
These rules are in place to address valid concerns about muscle mass, athletic skill, and perceived unfair advantage while affirming that transgender people do have the right to participate in sports. GLSEN has detailed information on each state’s guidance for transgender youth in sports. These are not consistent as different states treat transgender students with varying levels of acceptance and rejection.
Still, there are ongoing debates about these policies. This has led to anti-transgender policy and legislation around athletic participation. For example, West Virginia attempted to ban transgender students from girls’ sports and women’s teams. These bans often ignore a lack of evidence to support claims that transgender athletes have an unearned advantage, and perpetuate harmful narratives about the motives of trans women in sports.
The Broader Impacts of Inclusivity
When athletes are allowed to play sports consistent with their gender identity, that fosters an inclusive, supportive environment for all. Transgender youth don’t just receive the benefits of competition when they play sports. They become part of an important community, receive affirmation for their identity, and access equal opportunities.
When policies are designed for fairness to both transgender athletes and cisgender athletes, it shows that inclusivity can coexist with meaningful competition. All athletes benefit from this.
Myth: Trans Athletes Have Unfair Advantages
One of the most persistent myths about athletes who are transgender in sports, especially trans youth and transgender women, is the notion that they have an unearned advantage over cisgender women or female athletes in competitive athletics. This myth has driven debates, led to policy changes, and even been used to justify outright bans on transgender people’s participation in sports competitions. A closer look at scientific evidence, policy impacts, and real-life examples expose this as a myth.
Hormone Therapy And Athletic Performance
A common argument against transgender athletes on women’s sports teams is the notion that going through male puberty leads to permanent, unfair physical advantages. This includes increased bone density and muscle mass. It is true that male puberty can cause physical changes, hormone therapy can mitigate those effects. This is something that is widely required for transgender women to compete in the female category in many sports leagues.
Hormone therapy usually includes testosterone suppression. This causes loss of strength, muscle mass, and other physical attributes that are associated with biological male athletes. Research has shown that after a year or more of hormone therapy, transgender athletes’ abilities are much closer to those of cisgender women, especially in sports where endurance and strength are key factors. Sports governing bodies such as World Athletics and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have policies that require athletes to undergo testosterone suppression for a specific period of time to ensure fairness.
Case Studies of Trans Athletes Competing
As mentioned above, Dr. Richards competed in women’s tennis at the olympics after she had undergone gender reassignment surgery. Her inclusion proved that a transgender woman could take part without dominating or having an unfair advantage over her cisgender peers.
Recently, openly trans athletes like weightlifter Laurel Hubbard and Quinn, the first nonbinary athlete to win an Olympic gold medal, have drawn attention to gender diverse athletes in sports. Yes, their participation has led to debates, but their performances show that athletic ability is a complex thing.
In school sports, transgender student athletes and nonbinary student athletes take part in team sports to learn skills, make friends, and grow as people. Despite what critics claim, these students are not dominating in competition. They simply seek the same opportunities as their cis peers which is to play sports consistent with their gender identity.
Debunking The Myth of Unfair Advantage
Critics frequently bring up the notion of unfair advantage and selectively apply that to transgender athletes. For example, there are many cisgender athletes who have higher testosterone levels or who have unique physical attributes that benefit them in their chosen sports. One instance of this is Michael Phelps’ physique that is not just unusual, but gives him great advantage as a swimmer. Not only are these advantages accepted, they are celebrated.
In contrast, transgender women in particular are subject to restrictions, policing of gender, and transgender exclusion while other athletes are not. Sports have always drawn athletes with a wide range of genetic and physical traits. By focusing just on transgender athletes, the debate ignores the context of meaningful competition that should ideally include skill, training, and resilience.
The Broad Impact of Restrictive Policies on Sports Participation
Policies that ban trans people from sports are set overly strict restrictions perpetuate harm and stigmatize these athletes. For example, a school district that prevents transgender students from taking part in girls’ sports or female teams tells these children that their identities are not valid and deny them equal opportunities.
When these athletes are included in women’s sports or in competitive categories that align with their gender, a more inclusive environment exists for athletes who are trans or identify outside of the gender binary. Meaningful competition can exist without excluding trans people. We simply need policies that are fair and evidence-based.
Why The Advantage Myth is So Pervasive
This myth largely persists because of media attention given to elite sports where transgender athletes receive press – not because of their performance records but because of their participation. This fuels misconceptions that they are unfairly beating out cisgender competitors. This ignores the reality that trans people participate in sports for inclusion and competition, not to unfairly dominate. This is true for school sports, local competitive sports teams, and professional sports.
Myth: Transgender Athletes Put Women’s Sports Teams at Risk
You may have heard a claim that including transgender athletes in women’s sports undermines the integrity of women’s athletics. Critics often use the unfair advantage myth to claim that it puts cis women and female athletes at a disadvantage. This myth is often promoted by people who want to use fear and information to obscure evidence that inclusivity leads to positive outcomes.
How The Myth Got Started
The origin of this myth is part of a broader history of gender policing in women’s sports. Even prior to transgender girls and women being targeted, people have scrutized their sports for perceived fairness. This has led to a history of targeting women whose physical traits, gender identity, or gender expression don’t meet arbitrary standards. For example, women in competitive sports have often been subjected to invasive exams, gender testing, and testosterone limits.
This has led to even cisgender women being unfairly attacked, even disqualified. This happened to Olympian Imane Khelif who was alternately accused of being transgender and intersex – even by supposedly progressive media outlets.
Now that women who are openly transgender are competing, the scrutiny has become more invasive, and the accusations more frenzied. Over the past few years, there have been dozens of laws proposed or passed to keep transgender girls and women out of sports. High profile cases like the one in West Virginia are often promoted with fear-mongering rhetoric that mischaracterize transgender people’s participation without any evidence of harm being done to girls’ sports.
The Reality of Fairness And Advantage in Competitive Sport
Unfair advantage is a term that critics use to justify excluding trans women from sports. They argue that transgender girls and trans women have inherent physical advantages, especially if they have gone through male puberty. In reality, research and outcomes disprove this narrative.
When athletes at elite sports level undergo hormone therapy, something mandated in many cases, they experience lower testosterone levels and lose mass. Over time, trans women often achieve similar athletic abilities as cis women.
There are many factors that influence athletic advantage. For example, training, skill, determination, and even biological factors that aren’t necessarily limited to a single sex category. Cis women often have varied physical traits, hormone levels, and performance outcomes. World Athletics and the IOC effectively address concerns about keeping competition fair for trans women. These have proven to be effective safeguards.
Examples of Successful Inclusion in The Women’s Category
As the first known transgender athlete to compete in elite sports, Dr. Richards faced harsh criticism at first. Then it became clear that her participation did not cause harm. Today, transgender youth and student athletes seek to take part in sports consistent with their gender to experience the benefits of sports participation.
It’s important to keep in mind that many of the policies proposed or in place target trans youth. These are children attending local schools or taking part in non-elite competitions where the stated goal is not winning, but to provide opportunities for all. This should include transgender students and nonbinary student athletes. When transgender athletes are excluded at this level, it becomes clear that fairness may not be a genuine motivator.
Obscuring The Broader Challenges Facing Women Athletes
Women in sports do face unfairness and other challenges. Sadly, the focus on transgender girls and women distract from these very real issues. For example, women’s category athletics often receive less funding, limited media attention, and are impacted by the same systemic gender inequality that impacts all women. People who genuinely care about this focus less on transgender athletes competing and more on solving these very real problems.
Myth: Transgender Student Athletes Are a Recent Trend.
Are athletes, particularly transgender students becoming more prevalent as a result of modern social movements? Has it become trendy for an athlete to question their gender identity? This has been suggested in an attempt to invalidate the experiences and identities of transgender youth, and not just in athletics. However, the history of transgender individuals in sports shows that trans folks have been playing sports for years. The only difference is that increased visibility has been a positive outcome of societal progress in accepting gender diversity.
Transgender people, including trans women, have always participated in sports. In the past, many did so without being open about their gender identity due to societal stigma. Now, trans athletes are living openly and authentically and competing in women’s sports, nonbinary categories, and other divisions that match their identities.
Increasing Visibility of Trans People in Sports
Openly trans athletes including nonbinary athletes have become more visible in competition. This is the case from local school sports to elite sports. Outlets such as BBC Sport have run stories that boost the stories of transgender youth and others who play sports. When transgender girls and other gender diverse people see examples of dedication, achievement, and authenticity they feel more comfortable being open about their own identities.
Myth: Transgender Girls Need Separate Teams
There is a notion that transgender youth and other athletes should have separate teams instead of joining those consistent with their gender. This perpetuates harmful ideas about how to achieve fairness and inclusion. Advocates for these separate divisions fail to consider that a trans person is not the only athlete who might have abilities or other traits to advantage them. Also, transgender youth join sports teams to be active, make friends, and learn skills.
Policies that ban transgender students and other athletes from joining teams consistent with their gender identity go against values of equity and inclusion. They also serve out and other transgender youth, potentially endangering transgender students.
Transgender youth and other athletes deserve to play on teams that are consistent with their gender identity. To exclude or segregate them causes harm and ignores significant evidence in favor of fear-mongering rhetoric. There are other ways to help ensure fair play for both cis and transgender youth as well as adults who compete in sports.
Additionally, people must understand that sport participation has never involved the guarantee of an entirely even playing field. For example, all athletes, not just transgender youth, may compete against athletes who:
- Were born with physiques that make them better suited for sports
- Have naturally higher testosterone levels or more muscle
- Are older or stronger due to red-shirting
- Have socio economic advantages that give them access to camps, clinics, one-on-one coaching, or personal trainers
The notion that only one kind of perceived advantage must be addressed through segregation and exclusion unfairly punishes people who just want to participate in sports in a way that is consistent with their gender.
Myth: Bigotry is Not a Factor in Exclusion
When people advocate for excluding transgender youth and other athletes from participating in elite sport leagues or recreational teams consistent with their gender, they deny that bigotry is a motivation. Evidence contradicts this.
First, consider the false allegations against athletes. These almost entirely target women. It is mainly women with body types that don’t align with prevailing white, European standards of femininity who are targeted. Additionally, those targeted are often BIPOC.
Myth: There is an Influx of Transgender People Creating an Imbalance
Half of states now have legal restrictions on transgender students who want to participate in sports. There has also been an influx of laws, proposed laws, and policies aimed at making it difficult for a transgender person to play sports consistent with their gender identity. This growing number gives the impression that there has been an alarming influx of transgender students, amateur, and professional athletes who are “taking over” women’s sport.
This is untrue. While sports governing bodies have historically allowed trans athletes to participate and people are more open about their gender identity, there’s no evidence that trans women are taking over or crowding out cis athletes.
Transgender students make up about 3% of overall school populations. Even fewer of these transgender youth are involved in sports. These numbers contradict claims that there is any sort of takeover in school athletics.
Myth: Men Are Adopting a New Gender Identity to Invade Women’s Sport
When a trans woman is criticized for taking part in sports consistent with her identity, she faces inevitable criticism about her motives. One common accusation is that transgender students, amateur, and professional athletes just want to play on with women because they don’t have the skills to succeed competing against men. Another is that this isn’t about gender identity, but about men wanting to invade women’s spaces.
The idea that transgender youth and adults are predatory is based on broader stereotypes used to marginalize trans folks and queer people in general. This is used to evoke fear and mistrust. It’s also led to acts of violence against both cis and trans youth and adults. This is a disturbing trend as 43% of transgender youth report being bullied in school. There’s also no evidence of any notable trend of assaults being committed by men or boys pretending to be trans youth.
Trans and non-binary student athletes as well as elite athletes have been accused of attempting to find success in women’s sports when they fail at sports consistent with the success they were assigned at birth.
For example, former transgender student athlete Lia Thomas was attacked by people within and outside of college athletics for swimming on the UPenn women’s team. In reality, the data shows a track record in sports consistent with other talented cis athletes. Even comparing her records post HRT show that her distance swimming times were impacted.
Myth: This is a Matter of Safety
Is the concern about transgender youth in sports a matter of safety? This myth is driven by two different presumptions. The first is that transgender youth or adults, particularly girls, might cause harm to other players because they are too big or strong. The second is that transgender youth face unsafe situations. Let’s address both.
Transgender Youth do Not Endanger Other Athletes
There is no meaningful evidence that transgender youth are hurting other students intentionally or accidentally. If an athlete is at risk for injury competing against others, because of disparities in size, strength, or ability there are ways to mitigate that. Governing bodies can segregate students by age, weight class,
Takeaway: Allow People to Play Sports Consistent With Their Gender Identity
There are existing policies in place to ensure safety and equity that have effectively allowed trans athletes to participate in the sports they love. Inclusion has been proven to benefit all. Transgender youth and others should be able to play sports on a division or team consistent with their gender identity. This is in the best interest of athletes and is in the spirit of fair competition.
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