Authors: Brendan Boyd, Kelly McCafferty, Elizabeth Zomeri, Logan Wood, and Colby Stenzler

Abstract

The competition of transgender athletes in sporting events intended for their non-biological sex has become a source of controversy in the 2020s. The question is one of both exclusion and fairness– though some argue it would be most fair to biological sex athletes to exclude trans athletes, we believe that excluding individuals based on their gender identity would be more detrimental to transgender athletes than any harm that might be caused to cisgender athletes by allowing transgender athletes to compete. As of now, there are few transgender athletes – causing a gap in the amount of data available on their competition and possible advantage. Similarly, the societal understanding of transgender individuals is still developing, which impacts the environment in which these athletes compete.

Context

The involvement of transgender athletes in competitive sports has recently become a widely debated topic in the worlds of both sports and American politics. Much of the discussion has surrounded presumed biological or transition-related advantages and overall fairness in competition, sparking strong and conflicted opinions from many notable figures and media outlets. Traditionally, sports have been divided into separate leagues for men and women, a system built on a supposed superiority of male biological bodies in sport competition. For this reason, much of the controversy surrounding transgender athletes focuses on biological males who have transitioned to females. However, the increased consciousness and visibility of transgender people in America has led to controversy within sports’ traditional structure. Recently, especially within the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), there have been growing requests for policies that ensure fair and rightful treatment of transgender athletes. Despite this strive for change, state laws remain divided across the country; some states have even retaliated with the implementation of laws that ban transgender athletes from participating in sports divisions that match their gender identity (Barnes, 2023).

The American public remains somewhat split on this issue, however, polls show that “nearly 70% of U.S. adults say transgender athletes should be allowed to compete only on sports teams that correspond with the sexes they were assigned at birth” (Lavietes, 2023). Additionally, the polarizing viewpoints of many athletes and coaches across American sports have amplified the difference in opinion between the nation and the topic itself. The discussion of the identity of these athletes has become greatly associated with differing agendas – with some even accusing transgender competitors of transitioning purely to gain an advantage in sport. This ignores the physically and mentally taxing nature of the process of transitioning, as well as the more-often-than-not difficult experience of trans people in society outside of sport.

One needs to look no further to see the effect of this agenda in sports than former University of Kentucky Women’s swimmer Riley Gaines, who quickly became possibly the biggest activist against the participation of trans women in women’s sports, after tying for fifth place in an event with UPenn swimmer and trans woman Lia Thomas. Gaines has appeared on multiple conservative content outlets, such as Fox News and NewsMax, and has even been invited to serve as the commencement speaker for the Spring 2024 commencement at Adrian College, a private Christian university in Michigan. Outside of one anecdotal competition against Thomas, Gaines is in no way qualified to speak on the topic nor to be featured as a speaker for an organization. This evidences the connection between the political agenda surrounding transgender rights and the societal context in which trans athletes exist and compete.

Swimming

The inclusion and fairness of transgender athletes, specifically at the collegiate level, has prompted an abundance of debate within the swimming community. As previously mentioned, at the forefront of many of these conversations stands the University of Pennsylvania’s Lia Thomas, a transgender woman and collegiate swimmer who faced scrutiny due to her participation in the Women’s NCAA National Championships. Although a highly complicated and multi-faceted discussion, the debate emphasizes historical societal tensions surrounding gender and holds significance in the future of college sports.

Riley Gaines, a swimmer at the University of Kentucky, claimed that the NCAA violated Title IX by allowing Thomas to compete in the NCAA women’s swimming National Championship. Gaines has used a feminist narrative to promote her platform, claiming she is “defending single-sex spaces” and “standing up for women’s safety, privacy, and equal opportunities” (Riley Gaines, n.d.).

The concept of gendered performance is a critical term to understand in this context. Individuals face pressure to conform to hegemonic and heterosexual identities that are reinforced by society. Put differently, individuals feel it necessary to align their behaviors with the ideas of gender that the dominant norm dictates. As a result, gendered performance creates the perception that women are inferior to men, especially in an athletic context. The lawsuit filed by Gaines and other female college athletes against Thomas reinforces this idea. Gaines’ complaint of “unfairness” is centered around the fact that Thomas was assigned male at birth, which supposedly means that Thomas has a biological advantage over athletes assigned female at birth. However, this is not actually the case– the issue of transgender participation in sport is subject to too many variables to make such a claim. For instance, the effectiveness of testosterone-blocking treatments in transgender women is variable based on medication, as there are many different medications used among patients. “Approximately 20% of transgender women on spironolactone achieved testosterone concentrations in the range recommended by the Endocrine Society, compared to 90% of transgender women on cyproterone acetate” (Nokoff et al., 2023). The rules about transgender participation in sports vary as well, and “individual sports are now tasked with creating policies specific for their own sports that align with the principles outlined by the IOC, and which may vary widely” (Nokoff et al., 2023). The available data on transgender athletes also does not show any concrete evidence that transgender women hold a biological advantage over their cisgender counterparts in athletics, likely due to this variability. As mentioned previously, the discourse on transgender participation in athletics is relatively young, therefore it is necessary to understand the long-term impacts before creating a general policy on the matter.

Track & Field

There have been notable instances where transgender athletes have competed, sparking discussions surrounding inclusion and fairness. One example is the case of CeCe Telfer, a transgender woman who competed in NCAA Division II track and field events (Davies, 2023). Telfer’s participation raised questions about gender identity and athletic competition, specifically in events that segregate by biological sex. Some would argue that Telfer’s biological advantages as a male prior to transitioning created an unfair advantage in women’s track and field events. This has led to many new debates about the fairness of her participation.

With that, Telfer’s case brought attention to the intersection between gender identity, performance, and athletic regulations. As with swimming and other sports, the concept of gendered performance becomes important in discussions surrounding transgender athletes in track and field. The pressure to conform to traditional gender norms and expectations may influence how transgender athletes are perceived and treated within their respective sports. Also, the evolving understanding society has of transgender individuals is starting to shape the landscape in which these athletes compete, influencing new policies and attitudes toward their participation in intercollegiate sports. In the case of transgender athletes like CeCe Telfer, orthodox gender ideology may intersect with concerns about fairness and inclusion. Orthodox gender ideology displays traditional beliefs and norms regarding gender roles and identities, which are deeply ingrained in society (Coakley, 2021). These ideologies tend to reinforce binary notions of gender, where individuals are expected to conform to the roles and behaviors they were assigned at birth. Critics of transgender participation in women’s track and field events often adhere to orthodox gender ideologies. They argue that the biological differences between male and female athletes are insurmountable and should dictate participation based on assigned sex at birth. This perspective reflects a strict adherence to the traditional gender norms and reinforces the idea that transgender individuals are deviating from these norms.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the contentious issue of transgender athlete participation in competitive sports continues to spark debate and raise important questions about inclusion, fairness, and societal attitudes towards gender identity. As shown by the cases of Lia Thomas in swimming and CeCe Telfer in track and field, the intersection of gender identity and athletic competition challenges the traditional notion of gender and sports. While some argue for exclusion based on one’s assigned sex at birth, others call for inclusion and equal opportunities for transgender athletes. The controversies surrounding these cases show us the need for better discussions that consider the complex nature of gendered performance and the impact of societal understandings of gender identity of transgender athletes. Moving forward, it is very important to create better discourse and develop inclusive policies that prioritize fairness, and ensure equitable opportunities for all athletes, regardless of gender identity. By addressing these challenges with better understanding, the sports community can strive towards creating a more inclusive and equitable environment for transgender athletes.

About the Authors:

• Brendan Boyd is a senior BA student in Communication & Media Studies at the University of Michigan. His focus has been on popular media and the effects of common practices on public narratives and behaviors – surrounding everything from sports to politics to broader culture. His sports interests revolve around the deeper social and personal meaning that sports hold for individuals, specific/localized cultures, and society as a whole.
• Kelly McCafferty is a senior BBA student at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business. She is interested in leveraging the power of marketing to help brands drive positive social change. Her sports interests include promoting equitable opportunities for women, non-binary, and queer athletes, especially at the collegiate level.
• Logan Wood is a senior with a BGS major that has a passion for leadership and coaching. His academic pursuits dive into the realms of sports leadership, aiming to create future generations of athletes. With a keen interest in patented technology such as Trackman and pitching metrics, Logan aspires to merge his academic and sports interests into a career as a pitching coach.
• Elizabeth Zomeri is a junior student at the University of Michigan majoring in American Culture, with minors in Law, Justice, & Social Change and Museum Studies. Her primary areas of research are the progression of menstrual representation in mainstream media and pop culture, as well as the cultures of sport fandoms. Her interest in sports began at a young age by attending sporting events with parents, as well as her participation in sports growing up.
• Colby Stenzler is a freshman at the University of Michigan studying Economics, with a particular focus in the political economy. Aside from his major, Colby has a strong interest in the sports industry, and is on the Student Planning team of the Michigan Sport Business Conference. The interdisciplinary nature of the university allows him to focus on several broad topics, such as sports, politics and economics, in order to discover or build a more niche academic and career path.