Transgender people in sports

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The participation of transgender people in competitive sports, a traditionally sex-segregated institution,[1] is a controversial issue, particularly the inclusion of transgender women and girls in women's sports.

Opponents argue that transgender women have an unfair advantage over, and may endanger, cisgender women in competitive sports due to sex differences in human physiology, and that these differences are not sufficiently reversed by transgender hormone therapies. Supporters of transgender athletes argue that medically prescribed puberty blockers and estrogen suppress testosterone levels and reduce the muscle mass of transgender women, reducing possible competitive advantages.[2][3] Supporters also argue that sport, particularly youth sports, is also about belonging, well-being, and socialization of young people.[4] The American Medical Association states that legislation barring trans women from women's sports harms the mental health of transgender people.[5]

The controversy has caused debates regarding sex verification in sports. Since the mid-twentieth century, sports institutions have responded to the participation of transgender women and women suspected to be transgender, male, or intersex by adding eligibility requirements to women's sports variously determined by physical examination, sex chromosomes, and sex hormones.[16] Proponents of such regulations regard them as necessary to ensure fair competition and women's safety.[14][15][17] Opponents have criticized such regulations as unfounded, degrading, misogynistic, discriminatory against transgender and intersex women, disproportionately affecting women of color, and violating medical ethics and human rights.[7][9][10][11][18][19][20][excessive citations]

As of April 2023, there is no unifying international framework for the participation of transgender people in competitive sports. Traditionally, the inclusion criteria for women's sports have been decided upon by individual sporting bodies at the national and international level.[citation needed] In the United States, an anti-LGBT movement emerging in the early 2020s has led to some U.S. states passing legislation restricting the participation of transgender youth in high school sports or of trans women and girls in women's sports. Several international governing bodies including World Athletics, World Aquatics and World Rugby have restricted trans women who had undergone male puberty from participating in the female category.[21][22][23][24]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Menza, Kaitlin (9 September 2015). "Does Transitioning Affect Sports Performance?". Shape. Archived from the original on 15 January 2022. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
  3. ^ "Trans women targeted in sports bans, but are they really at an advantage?". ABC News. Archived from the original on 15 January 2022. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  4. ^ "Op-ed: Pushing Trans Youth Away From Sports Is Harmful". www.out.com. Archived from the original on 28 February 2019.
  5. ^ "Raft of bills intrude on medical practice, harm transgender people". 16 April 2021. Archived from the original on 20 January 2022. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
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  7. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :11 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference :13 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference bmj2014 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference lancet2005 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference un2016 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference ioc2015 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference Sykes2006 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :8 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  15. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :14 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  16. ^ [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]
  17. ^ Cite error: The named reference :16 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  18. ^ Cite error: The named reference :15 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  19. ^ Longman, Jeré (4 December 2020). "Rights Group Demands End to Sex Testing of Female Track Athletes". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 3 August 2024. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
  20. ^ Knight, Kyle (4 December 2020). ""They're Chasing Us Away from Sport": Human Rights Violations in Sex Testing of Elite Women Athletes". Human Rights Watch. Archived from the original on 8 October 2022. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  21. ^ Cite error: The named reference :12 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  22. ^ Cite error: The named reference :22 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  23. ^ Bahrampour, Tara; Clement, Scott; Guskin, Emily (13 June 2022). "Most Americans oppose trans athletes in female sports, poll finds". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on 14 June 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  24. ^ Kim, Juliana. "Transgender track and field athletes can't compete in women's international events". NPR. Archived from the original on 3 August 2024. Retrieved 15 May 2023.