"Some people are against transgender women competing, while others are all for it." --Maia Cavagnolo, 8th grade
Recently, a lot of attention has been focused on a particular issue: transgender women competing in female sports. Some people are against transgender women competing, while others are all for it.
Often it doesn't go well when people try to have a conversation about trans women in sports. “It’s a hard time to have an opinion on this because whatever opinion I offer just invites an attack from one side or the other,” says Jeff Foster, Oakland School for the Arts’ 6th and 7th grade PE coach. This is partly because there’s so much misinformation surrounding this debate.
A common myth about trans women competing is that they have an advantage over cisgender women (assigned female at birth). “Nature [endows trans women] with certain post-pubescent physical attributes that provide a competitive advantage,” says Dennis L. Weisman. “These attributes include larger heart size, more hemoglobin [a protein that delivers oxygen to your tissue], leaner body mass, and larger lung capacity.” While these seem like they would provide an advantage, it’s been proven that they actually don’t.
An article by GenderGP writes “[A CCES] report [2021] is an in-depth review of all existing scientific literature published between the years 2011 and 2021 in English regarding trans women in elite level sports. It clarified that biomedical factors do not pose any threat to cisgender athletes.”
However, Foster shows concern about this topic. “Is it equitable to include someone in a female competition if they were born male and later transitioned?” Foster continues. “I think we need to be as inclusive as we can, but also not lose sight of biological advantages especially when it comes to athletic competition.”
An article by Chase Strangio and Gabriel Arkles sums this up well. “Trans athletes vary in athletic ability just like cisgender athletes.” What they’re explaining is that there are so many things that factor into speed. While testosterone is one of those factors, it’s not the deciding one.
Strangio and Arkles also point out that “excluding women who are trans hurts all women. It invites gender policing that could subject any woman to invasive tests or accusations of being ‘too masculine’ or ‘too good’ at their sport to be a ‘real’ woman.” And this is so true!
A RadioLab episode follows the story of Indian runner Dutee Chand. Chand was taught to run by her older sister, but soon made her way to the Olympics. In 2014, she was taken in for “a secret gender test because [she was] doing so well,” says the Narrator Molly Webster.
This gender test, which measured testosterone, found that Chand had very high levels of it, and, despite being a cisgender female, she was banned from running because of high levels of testosterone.
“I think it’s absolutely ridiculous,” says Gillian Bowley, an elementary school educator, about Chand’s banning. “I think that is wrong,” agrees Foster. “If [Dutee’s] levels of testosterone are derived naturally then she just has a physical gift for athleticism.” This leads back to what Strangio and Arkles said about the factors of speed. Some cisgender people have lots of testosterone, and others don’t. So why was Chand banned?
Often it doesn't go well when people try to have a conversation about trans women in sports. “It’s a hard time to have an opinion on this because whatever opinion I offer just invites an attack from one side or the other,” says Jeff Foster, Oakland School for the Arts’ 6th and 7th grade PE coach. This is partly because there’s so much misinformation surrounding this debate.
A common myth about trans women competing is that they have an advantage over cisgender women (assigned female at birth). “Nature [endows trans women] with certain post-pubescent physical attributes that provide a competitive advantage,” says Dennis L. Weisman. “These attributes include larger heart size, more hemoglobin [a protein that delivers oxygen to your tissue], leaner body mass, and larger lung capacity.” While these seem like they would provide an advantage, it’s been proven that they actually don’t.
An article by GenderGP writes “[A CCES] report [2021] is an in-depth review of all existing scientific literature published between the years 2011 and 2021 in English regarding trans women in elite level sports. It clarified that biomedical factors do not pose any threat to cisgender athletes.”
However, Foster shows concern about this topic. “Is it equitable to include someone in a female competition if they were born male and later transitioned?” Foster continues. “I think we need to be as inclusive as we can, but also not lose sight of biological advantages especially when it comes to athletic competition.”
An article by Chase Strangio and Gabriel Arkles sums this up well. “Trans athletes vary in athletic ability just like cisgender athletes.” What they’re explaining is that there are so many things that factor into speed. While testosterone is one of those factors, it’s not the deciding one.
Strangio and Arkles also point out that “excluding women who are trans hurts all women. It invites gender policing that could subject any woman to invasive tests or accusations of being ‘too masculine’ or ‘too good’ at their sport to be a ‘real’ woman.” And this is so true!
A RadioLab episode follows the story of Indian runner Dutee Chand. Chand was taught to run by her older sister, but soon made her way to the Olympics. In 2014, she was taken in for “a secret gender test because [she was] doing so well,” says the Narrator Molly Webster.
This gender test, which measured testosterone, found that Chand had very high levels of it, and, despite being a cisgender female, she was banned from running because of high levels of testosterone.
“I think it’s absolutely ridiculous,” says Gillian Bowley, an elementary school educator, about Chand’s banning. “I think that is wrong,” agrees Foster. “If [Dutee’s] levels of testosterone are derived naturally then she just has a physical gift for athleticism.” This leads back to what Strangio and Arkles said about the factors of speed. Some cisgender people have lots of testosterone, and others don’t. So why was Chand banned?
“The [CCES] report found strong evidence that suggests ‘elite sport policy is made within transmisogynist, misogynoir, racist, [and] geopolitical cultural norms.’ These norms are the result of a long history of excluding all women, even [cisgender] women, in sports,” says GenderGP. The sports system was built in a way that excludes women: Chand was only brought in for a gender test because she was winning a lot of races.
Take Michael Phelps, one of the most decorated athletes in history, according to Colleen De Bellefonds. Phelps produces “half the lactic acid of his competitors.” Lactic acid is something humans produce when exerting themselves, and it makes you “tired and sore,” De Bellefonds says. Yet, in contrast to Chand, Phelps (a cisgender white man) is celebrated for his wins.
Foster points out that “If competing becomes not fun, then we are defeating the purpose of the sport.” Bowley says something similar. “[We need] less obsession around winning and more focus on having fun and playing a game together.”
They both have a good point. Sports are supposed to be about fun and self-improvement. How can we focus on that with so much controversy, misinformation, and hate surrounding trivial topics?
Take Michael Phelps, one of the most decorated athletes in history, according to Colleen De Bellefonds. Phelps produces “half the lactic acid of his competitors.” Lactic acid is something humans produce when exerting themselves, and it makes you “tired and sore,” De Bellefonds says. Yet, in contrast to Chand, Phelps (a cisgender white man) is celebrated for his wins.
Foster points out that “If competing becomes not fun, then we are defeating the purpose of the sport.” Bowley says something similar. “[We need] less obsession around winning and more focus on having fun and playing a game together.”
They both have a good point. Sports are supposed to be about fun and self-improvement. How can we focus on that with so much controversy, misinformation, and hate surrounding trivial topics?
