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As more transgender and non-binary athletes look to compete in the Olympics and national competitions, questions remain about whether it’s fair—particularly for transgender women (biologically male) to compete with biologically female women.
Some view this issue as solely a matter of inclusion or discrimination and believe that it is discriminatory to prevent someone from competing alongside the gender they identify with. Others believe it is fundamentally unfair for transgender women (male to female), for instance, to compete with biological women, due to innate differences in physicality. There are also varying opinions about whether or not hormone replacement therapy is enough to offset the advantages a male-to-female trans athlete has over biological women in sports, especially after they have gone through male puberty.
Questions remain, such as: If transgender medical treatments are enough to offset biological advantages, should there be rules about how long the athlete needs to have been taking the treatment(s) before they can compete? If such treatments aren’t enough to offset biological advantages, then should the athletes be forced to compete with the gender they were born as? Or should their advantages be considered part of the natural variation in abilities when one competes? Or, should there be a third category for transgender athletes?
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Transgender Athletes Should Compete With Members of Their Stated Gender Identity:
Transgender athletes should be allowed to compete in sports in accordance with their gender identity. For instance, male-to-female trans athletes should be able to compete with biological women as a matter of human rights and inclusivity.Transgender Athletes Should Compete with Their Sex at Birth:
Transgender athletes competing as their stated gender identity create an unfair playing field, particularly in women's sports.Gender Identity Should Not be the Sole Determinant:
While transgender athletes should be respected and included, their participation should be based on a combination of factors, not solely on gender identity.Transgender Athletes Should Compete in a Mixed or Third Category:
To ensure that transgender athletes have the opportunity to compete without being unfair to cisgender athletes, trans athletes should be allowed in an open or mixed category.Stance 1: Transgender Athletes Should Compete With Members of Their Stated Gender Identity
CORE ARGUMENT: Transgender athletes should be allowed to compete in sports in accordance with their gender identity. For instance, male-to-female trans athletes should be able to compete with biological women as a matter of human rights and inclusivity.
More arguments for this stance:
- Transgender athletes, like all athletes, have a right to participate in sports that align with their gender identity.
- Excluding transgender athletes can cause harm to their mental health and overall wellbeing.
- Including transgender and cisgender girls in sports has shown mental health benefits for both groups.
- Transgender women do not necessarily have a competitive advantage in sports. Many factors can influence athletic performance, including training, diet, and genetics.
- Transgender athletes do not win often, and the occasions that they do are cherry-picked by the media
- If transgender athletes do have an advantage, it is not unfair, but a natural variability that should be accepted, such as variation in height, arm length, or lung capacity.
- Transgender athletes often undergo hormone therapy, which can negate any potential physical advantage.
- Sporting organizations such as the International Olympic Committee and NCAA have policies allowing transgender athletes to compete in line with their gender identity.
- Excluding transgender athletes from sports that align with their gender identity is discrimination and can lead to stigmatization.
- Transgender individuals have a right to participate in social activities, including competitive sports, without fear of discrimination or exclusion.
Stance 2: Transgender Athletes Should Compete with Their Sex at Birth
CORE ARGUMENT: Transgender athletes competing as their stated gender identity create an unfair playing field, particularly in women's sports.
More arguments for this stance:
- Physical differences between biological males and females can lead to males having competitive advantages in certain sports.
- Biological males are typically faster and stronger than females.
- Allowing transgender women to compete in women's sports can lead to fewer opportunities for biological women.
- Changes in muscle mass and bone density due to hormone therapy are not enough to level the playing field in certain sports.
- Allowing transgender athletes to compete with women is not only be unfair to women, but actually unsafe in certain sports.
- Allowing transgender women to compete in women's sports may discourage some women from participating due to perceived unfairness.
- Sports have traditionally been segregated by sex for reasons of innate biological difference, safety, and fairness.
- Often athletes change in locker rooms together and cisgender athletes may not be comfortable being exposed to the other biological genitalia.
- Protecting women and girls in sports is a civil rights issue; each sex is deserving of privacy, safety and fairness, as guaranteed in federal law by Title IX.
Stance 3: Gender Identity Should Not be the Sole Determinant
CORE ARGUMENT: While transgender athletes should be respected and included, their participation should be based on a combination of factors, not solely on gender identity.
More arguments for this stance:
- A combination of hormone levels, time since transition, and other physiological factors should be taken into account when determining eligibility to compete in gender-segregated sports.
- Sporting organizations, like the International Olympic Committee, require transgender women to suppress testosterone levels for a certain period before competing in women's events, which is good practice.
- Consideration of physical attributes such as muscle mass, bone density, and lung capacity may also be necessary to ensure fair competition.
- An individualized approach, rather than a blanket policy, may be more fair and inclusive for all athletes.
- Each transition is different and athletes should be evaluated based on ability; while for some it may be appropriate for them to compete with their gender identity, that may not be the case for all.
- Balancing the rights and needs of transgender athletes with the integrity of competitive sports requires nuanced and flexible policies.
Stance 4: Transgender Athletes Should Compete in a Mixed or Third Category
CORE ARGUMENT: To ensure that transgender athletes have the opportunity to compete without being unfair to cisgender athletes, trans athletes should be allowed in an open or mixed category.
More arguments for this stance:
- Having a third category would simplify the different rules each sporting organization crafts.
- Cisgender athletes would not be forced to compete with those they believe may have an advantage over them.
- If a transgender athlete does win, there will not be an outcry from other athletes because everyone consented to competing in an open or mixed category.
- The rules are clear for transgender and cisgender athletes. A third category is easy to understand and hard to dispute, unlike nuanced rules that have to update as science does.
The Author:
Clare Ashcraft, Bridging & Bias Specialist, Center bias
Reviewers and Contributors:
Julie Mastrine, Director of Marketing and Media Bias Ratings, Lean Right bias
Joseph Ratliff, AllSides Daily News Editor, Lean Left bias