Balancing Fairness and Inclusion: The debate over Transgender Athletes in Competitive Sports

Balancing Fairness and Inclusion: The debate over Transgender Athletes in Competitive Sports

Over the years there has been many different kinds of debates of whether transender athletes should be allowed to compete in sports according to the gender in which they identify as. As we know, competitive sports often rely on their principles for fairness, equality and respect. With that comes from the athletes skill, effort, and their training; not their physical advantages. However over the years we have seen more and more inclusion of transgender athletes, particularly transgender women competing in women’s divisions. Which has caused some debate in athletic organizations. There have been many concerns for the safety and fairness of other athletes due to the biological advantages transgender women have over biological women. This can cause risks and compromise the safety and integrity of competitive sports. However I believe that trying to maintain a sex-based division is essential for equality for our athletes.

One of the most significant reasons that transgender athletes should not be allowed to compete in sports that differ from their biological sex is there is a presence of lasting biological and physical differences between males and females. Peyton MacKenzie, who wrote “Transgender Women Should Not Compete Against Biological Women”, goes into more detail to explain some of the differences between transgender and biological women. She quoted an Olympic medalist Sharon Davies who said; “The bone structure, the slightly bigger hearts, more red blood cells, you know the smaller pelvis…therefore for a female athlete competing with a transgender female is always going to be at a disadvantage”. Even if a transgender woman went and made the changes with their hormones and testosterone it still wouldn’t change the fact that they were born as a male and have those bigger bone structures and more red blood cells. Males also have greater muscle mass and so many other advantages over females that give them an advantage in their athletic performance. The article written by DJ Oberlin “Sex differences and athletic performance. Where do trans individuals fit into sports and athletics based on current research?” It also goes into more details about how the biological and physiological differences play a huge part in why trans women have an unfair advantage against biological women. Oberlin goes on to say that, “Prepubertal males and females have similar aerobic capacities relative to body mass. However, post-pubertal males show greater aerobic capacity compared to females due to changes such as increased hemoglobin and learner body composition”. Oberlin explains to us that there would be no problem with transgender women playing with biological women if they don't go through those changes in puberty. Unfortunately that is not something that we can stop so those changes will happen and they will still have an advantage over women. It is difficult when our women's divisions were originally created to provide equitable opportunities and give recognition for female athletes, but acknowledging the biological differences that separate the sexes. Allowing transgender women to compete would unfortunately and unintentionally take that away. Trying to maintain a sex-based division is not a form of exclusion or discrimination, but rather a necessary way to make sure there is a fair and meaningful competition in our women's athletics.

The inclusion of transgender athletes in opposite-sex categories raises serious concerns about the fairness and the integrity of competitive sports. Organized athletics are built on the idea that every competitor should have an equal opportunity to succeed through skill, discipline, and effort not through innate physiological advantages. MacKenzie shares how a simmer from Pennsylivania Lia Thomas has been dominating in the swimming field. MacKenzie writes, “Thomas has been shattering women's records, and her teammates are furious at the NCAA for allowing Thomas to compete". By allowing transgender women to compete is not only affecting the athletes they are competing against but also their own teammates. Even going with the testosterone suppressants to help transition from a male to a female doesn't change the fact that men are typically bigger and stronger than biological females; they have bigger wingspans and are stronger. MacKenzie continues to say, “The same society that pushes for women’s liberation and preaches about the beauty of being a woman, allows for men to cheapen our experiences by transitioning and defeating us”. There is a big controversy with this because it is hard for the women who play and train to get to these bigger college levels to all of a sudden have your spot taken for someone who physically is stronger and meant for a different team.

In addition to concerns about fairness, the inclusion of transgender athletes in opposite-sex categories raise legitimate safety issues, particularly in contact or high-impact sports. Typically biological males possess greater muscle mass, stronger bond structure, and higher levels of explosive power, all of which can raise a high risk for injuries during competitions. The sports that this would concern would be wrestling, boxing, and rugby. Mark Regnerus who wrote “Trans Athlete Injures Multiple Girls, Forcing Team To Forfeit. Wither Thou, Feminism” shares a story about this. Regnerus writes, “ A trans-identified six-foot-tall male player with facial hair playing for the KIPP Academy girls’ basketball team, injured multiple players and eventually forced the Collegiate Charter School to forfeit". By allowing transgender women to compete with biological women is a liability. Those women who have made the transition are so much stronger physically. It is hard to try to include everyone like transgender athletes, when they are proposing a threat to others. In the article “Trans Inclusion and Women's Sport” it shares some statistics comparing the strength, height, and impact on sport.  “Trans Inclusion and Women's Sport” says this, “On average, compared to age matched females at any given body weight, adult males have: 40-50% greater upper limb strength…, at full growth females are an average of 5-6 inches shorter than males”. It is hard to have these transgender athletes compete with biological women when they have such advantages on us. The supporters of transgender inclusion in sports often argue that athletes should be allowed to compete in accordance with their gender identity as a matter of equality and human rights. They contend that excluding transgender individuals from categories that align with their identity is a form of discrimination and that it harms their sense of belonging and their self-worth. From this perspective, inclusion is viewed as a way to promote diversity, acceptance, and respect within athletic communities. While these arguments are rooted in compassion and equality, they overlook the fundamental purpose of competitive sports, which is to create fair and balanced conditions where outcomes are determined by effort and ability rather than inherent physical advantages. Something that would be a good alternative would be something that the NCAA could do would be to create a separate league for those who are transgender. That way they are still included in playing sports without all the other issues. Donna Lopiano who wrote “A Fair And Inclusive Solution For Transgender Women In Sports” shares about a “solution”. Lopiano writes, “Our nonbinary solution is called the Women’s Sports Umbrella. Under this umbrella, all people who identify as female would be invited to try out for women’s sports teams, with one caveat: Competition”. This shows that people are putting in effort and trying to come up with ideas for the transgender so they do not feel discriminated against or left out in any way.

The debate over transgender participation in competitive sports is one of the most complex and sensitive issues that our modern day athletes have to face. While people who call for inclusion and equality deserve respect, it has to be balanced against the core principles of fairness, safety, and integrity that we have in sports. I feel that the biological and the physiological differences between the sexes is too drastic when we compare their speed, strength, and endurance which is something that unfortunately for the transgender women cannot be erased, even with all of the medical procedures we have. By allowing the transgender athletes is not only a concern about the fairness of the other athletes who they compete against but it gives a legitimate concern for the safety of others. As we move forward it’s important for our sports organizations to continue to try to navigate this issue, they will have to uphold policies and that can ensure both inclusivity and fairness and are able to recognize that the equality in sports doesn’t depend on identical participation, but on the fairness and safe conditions for our athletes.

Works cited

Lopiano, Donna. “A Fair and Inclusive Solution for Transgender Women in Sports.” Forbes, 4 Aug. 2022, www.forbs.com/sites/donnalopiano/2022/08.04/a-fair-and-inclusive-solution-for-transgender-women-in-sports/. 

MacKenzie, Peyton. “Transgender Women Should Not Compete Against Biological Women. “Liberty Champion, 24, Jan. 2022, liberty.edu/champion/2022/01/24/transgender-women-should-not-compete-against-biological-women/. 

Oberlin, D. J. “Sex Differences and Athletic Performance: Where do Trans Individuals Fit into Sports and Athletics Based on Current Research?” Sports Medicine- Open, vol. no. 1, 2023, PMC10641525.PubMed Central, https:pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/atriciles/PMC10641525/ .

Regnerus, Mark. “Trans Athlete Injures Multiple Girls, Forcing Team to Forfeit. Wither Thou, Feminism?” The Heritage Foundation, 27 Feb. 2024, www.heritage.org/gender/commentary/trans-athlete-injures-multiple-girls=forcing-team-forfeit-wither-thou-feminism. 

Women in Sport. “Transgender Inclusion & Women’s Sport.” Women in Sport, womeninsport.org/transgender-inclusion-womens-sport/.