The Equability in Sports for Trans-Athletes

Jack delivers a powerful uppercut to Rob’s, his opponent, left jaw, stunning Rob for a brief second. Rob shakes off the blow and tries to counter-attack, but is blocked by Jack. Jack moves quickly to return two quick jabs to the stomach of his ring mate, before going for the head again. Rob starts to staggers slightly, but still attempts to answer back with some blows of his own. One shot is lucky enough to penetrate Jack’s defense, but connects feebly to Jack’s face. Jack knows the end is near and continues to throw a flurry of blows in opposition. With seconds remaining, the competitor eventually falls and is unable to stand up. The bout is over and Jack is victorious. The crowd cheers as Jack is announced the winner by TKO. Jack is satisfied with this win because he knew he was viewed as the underdog, yet he still rose above the challenge and won.

Days later, Jack’s victory floods social media and he quickly becomes the most talked about boxer. No one is complaining about Jack’s past. No one cares that Jack was born a woman and through hormone replacement therapy was able to live his life as who he truly is: a man. There is no controversy about him as a trans-athlete.

This is the goal of every athlete, regardless of race, age, or gender identity. It’s all about the drive to win. In this anecdote, no one will complain about the victor. Almost everyone will agree that he deserved to win the match. He spent many days training for it and he should be rewarded because he earned it. No one will question his gender identity. Man is man. In a patriarchal society, men will always be honored and reward for the attributes. However, if the word man were replaced with woman, would it still have the same honor and respect?

Lia Thomas has made headlines because of her win in a swimming competition and beating her competitor by 7 seconds. Yes, she did break a school record, but it was by a small margin of seconds, however she didn’t break the world record set by Ellie Marquadt in 2020. In the current political climate, transgender athletes are the focal point of every debate and Thomas’s victory is under unnecessary scrutiny because she is transgender.

Many will argue she had an advantage because she was born male. She had been training as a male swimmer prior to transitioning, thus she had an overall unfair advantage prior to entering the competition. What people will overlook are the effects of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in all transgender people. For a male to female, it reduces testosterone significantly, as well as muscle mass. There are many resources anyone can look up to find out for themselves. Yet, this research continues to be brushed aside. Opposers of Thomas’s victory will only focus on the fact she was born as a biological male.

Ironically, if Thomas were a transgender male competing against other cis-gender men, no one would be arguing or complaining about his victory. He would have been given the proper celebration he deserved. This seems to be the case with many transgender men. They are allowed to compete in any category and will still be celebrated for the efforts. As a transgender male, who was born as a biological woman, he earned his victory because it is harder to compete in a male sport than a female one.

The one common element in both cases is hormones. Everyone will agree that male and female hormones are different and it is the reason why the sports world has gender dichotomy. It would be unfair for a woman to compete against a man because testosterone does give men the advantage over women. When a female-born person decides to transition to male, he will have to leave competing in the women’s division due to the unfairness that HRT will present. Unfortunately, it is not true for a transgender female. She will always be reviewed as “man” regardless of how long she has been on HRT, or any additional steps she has taken in her transition. Many people sternly believe: “Once a man, always a man.”

Bottomline, in America, if you are a transgender male you are allowed to compete in the men’s division without fear of scrutiny, but if you are a trans-female, don’t bother. This is the message America is sending to trans-youth, especially with all the trans-banning bills being presented in various states. It is the same message we are sending to cis-gender females who are born with a higher level of testosterone than other females. America, which is supposed to be the land of the free, will still suppress civil rights if a person does not match the “ideal” female body.

It’s More Than a Transgender Issue

The Transgender-ban is not really focused on trans-boys, or trans-men. It’s sole purpose is to focus on trans-girls and trans-women. It is simply transphobia in the disguise of unfairness. It is the same reason why Caster Semenya, a cis-gender woman who has a naturally high level of testosterone, is denied competing in women’s running competitions. Semenya is not alone. There are other cis-gender female athletes who are just born with a higher level of testosterone, but due to the current political climate, are no longer allowed to compete. What about them? Why are those opposing transgender-females, not fighting to allow women like Semenya, to compete? Or other women who are just born stronger, larger, or taller than the average woman?

Another popular claim is, “it’s simply biology. If you are biologically male, then you have an unfair advantage.” Biology is part of science. If the claim is focusing on biology, a science, then why are the effects of hormone replacement therapy being overlooked? It is science that has been perfected for hundreds of years starting with indigenous people. Science is science, regardless of which domain people want to focus on. There is a science to hormone replacement therapy that focuses on the biological structure of a person. It’s simple biology. With the right treatment, a person can live as who they are internally and externally.

When it comes to women sports, there are many cis-gender women who are also alienate for not meeting an unwritten guideline on anatomical requirements. These guideline can be whatever those in charge of creating them what. It seems it is catered to caucasian females with a smaller frame. If America wants to dichotomize sports based on gender, then categorize them on appearance to make it “fair” as everyone seems to be complaining about. Allow taller women to compete with taller women. Allow higher level of testosterone women compete similarly with those on the same level. If the sports world is not willing to go to that extreme to create “fairness” in women’s sports, then recognize trans-female athletes as the women they are and honor them with the same victory as we do trans-men.

Note from Author

I don’t think it needs to be stated, but I am a transgender woman. Sometimes, I don’t like that label, but it is who I am. I just want to be respected and treated human, like anyone else. I am similar to other women with the same interests, struggles, and concerns. People who know me personally will agree that I fit under the “women” umbrella and that is how I want to be perceived. My past should not matter or be considered to determine who I am today.

That being said, I don’t participate in competitive sports. Based on the current controversial issue in the sports world today, I wouldn’t want to either. I wouldn’t want to be the reason a team is disqualified, especially when there are so many cis-gender women who can easily beat me at almost any given sport because I am a weak woman (honestly, I can barely do one push up). I would be afraid to try hard, or train to become better, because if I do, my past could be used against me and my team to make my efforts an “unfair” advantage. I fully respect Thomas for her courage and perseverance over the current political adversity. She is hopefully leading the way to a more equitable America for all women.

Before making any comments regarding trans-athletes, know the facts about hormone replacement therapy (See links below to start). It seems there are a lot of people who just want transgender people erase complete out of the country. Which America does that support? When did the land of the free start supporting genocide (in terms of gender identity)? We need to abolish ignorance, not people.

References

Read about Semenya’s ban in women’s competition due to her high level of testosterone: Semenya’s Ban

A recent study of HRT in Trans-athletes.

A small “Truth and Myth” page regarding Thomas.

American Civil Rights Union’s stance on trans-athletes.

The truth about Lia’s win. Her swim times.

NCAA has updated their policy regarding the requirements for trans-athletes in light on recent events. Keep in mind, the NCAA still encourages participation in sports from trans-students.