Is the Inclusion of Transgender Athletes in Competitive Sports Fair or Controversial?
Since the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced in 2004 that transgender athletes would be allowed to compete in the Olympics, there has been much discussion about whether transgender athletes have an advantage over other athletes in the same competition, particularly transgender women in female sports.
Opponents argue that competitive sports should be based on biological differences, not gender identity and that trans women still have a biological advantage over other female athletes in competition. Proponents argue that transgender females, whose testosterone levels are suppressed by hormone therapy, may have physiological characteristics similar to other female athletes and thus should be treated equally.
Examples support both sides of the argument
Opponents, in 2017, Mack Beggs, a transgender male athlete, was requested to wrestle girls at the Texas State Wrestling Championships and went on to win the continental title with a record of 52 wins and 0 losses, despite Beggs’ family’s repeated statements that he wanted to wrestle boys.
Some opponents argued that the testosterone he took while transgender gave him an unfair advantage and did not ensure the safety of other competitors.
Proponents, in 2021, Laurel Hubbard, the first transgender woman to compete in the Olympics, competed in weightlifting at the 2020 Summer Olympics but did not win a medal and was unsuccessful in all of her attempts.
Katelyn Burns, an MSNBC Opinion columnist, says Hubbard’s performance demonstrates trans women will not pose a threat to women’s sports.
Policy Evolution
Sports organisations have enacted policies aimed at striking a balance between inclusiveness and fairness, such as the IOC, which enacted the first policy on eligibility for transgender people in 2004, requiring transgender women (male-to-female transsexuals) to undergo gender reassignment surgery, i.e., external genital modification and gonadectomy, and to complete hormone treatments for a minimum of two consecutive years to ensure that their oestrogen levels are matches. However, the 2016 update reduces these requirements to at least 12 months of hormone therapy and meets the appropriate hormone level criteria. Transgender men (female-to-male transsexuals) are also permitted to participate in the men’s programme, provided they complete the same hormone therapy.
New Category
Creating a new category for transgender athletes may be the most effective way to balance equity and inclusion.
According to the BBC, in 2022, the British Triathlon Federation was the first to create an ‘open’ category for transgender athletes and to limit women’s competitions to those born female.
In 2023, the British Athletic Association hopes to amend legislation to create new categories for both male and transgender athletes, ensuring that the female category is legally reserved for competitors who are registered as female at birth.
This means that in the future, more sports associations may allow the policy of establishing a new category.
In short, as policies are refined and new policies are introduced, the goal is to maximise the opportunity to ensure that all athletes, regardless of gender, have equal access to opportunities, despite the ongoing challenges of equity and diversity.
