A Point of View...Trans in Sports

 ...a volatile and difficult issue to discuss and to elucidate. Why is this issue so emotional and so polarizing? People fear what they don't understand so a world of phobias exist...discrimination at every level and of every kind. People that are different than those who view them... religious indoctrination... A lack of appropriate education pertaining to understanding labels like  Bisexual/ Gay/ Lesbian/ Transgender/ Queer/Pansexual/ Non-binary and Transvestite to name a few.  It is  important to know that not all transgendered people are gay. Gay is not synonymous with all of these labels, being different is. These topics cannot be discussed without mentioning the word "SEX" and once that word is read or spoken most people's minds immediately go somewhere else.  Put "sex" and "sports" in the same dialogue and it's volcanic!  Highly combustible words elicit strong emotional convictions. This is why it is so polarizing. 

Let me first say that I am a supporter of trans people in our world.  Having lived as a lesbian, I am aware of the human toll it takes to try to "fit in" and "be enough". To know you are "different", to know you are physically and genetically one sex at birth but emotionally, mindfully and soulfully know that you are suppose to be "the other"sex is tragic and leads to a difficult life. I am in favor of adult age folks making their own extremely painful and difficult decisions but I have to say that I believe that prepubescent children who express their desire to begin the long process of transitioning to the opposite sex need to wait.  I believe that these young little people need time to experience a bit of the world they live in. Parents of these children can assist them to wait by supporting them emotionally, listening to them and helping them make a time line of when they might begin the actual process. This, along with professionally experienced medical and psychological staff assisting along the way.

Being a lesbian from birth I can say that there were times in my early teens when I had "wished I was a boy".  That folks is a lot different than believing that you are living in the wrong physical body.  There are many young girls who say ," I wish I was a boy" and why wouldn't they!  Boys and men have been the recipients of a world open, opportunities given, chairs at the head of the table and money made.

My training in the skills and purpose of movement, the philosophy of sports, understanding the physiology of training, the role of kinesiology in movement, knowing biological challenges and the psychology of sport have given me insight into the discussion of Trans in sports.  Sports are based on rules. Rules are used in the sport world to assist in trying to make age appropriate play safe and even to participants. Age and weight play a role in attempts to establish level playing fields as does skill level.  Leagues and conferences, from town recreation programs through college levels all use the same type of rubric based on established rules.  Who is eligible to play in one level versus another.  I openly fought for Title IX in the mid 70's  knowing full well all the opportunities that girls and women lacked.  Coaching and teaching motor skills to high school age male and female athletes for many years has given me a grounded opinion regarding this extremely difficult issue. With that said the question remains...should Trans be allowed or should they not be allowed in regular competition?  The answer is only now beginning to be battled in the courts and will no doubt at some point end up in the lap of our Supreme Court.

It is very doubtful that a female transgendering to a male could compete with males equally in a sport that requires strength and speed.  I am not talking about ten and twelve year olds here. I am referring to folks eighteen years of age or older who are transgendered or in the process of changing their birth sex.  Some of the physical changes and some of the chemical changes I do not believe can make up for the structural bone and gravity differences between male and female athletes.

For example, most male navels are higher than a female navel. The navel is the approximate center of gravity on our bodies.  Most female navels are lower, therefore our center of gravity is lower which makes females "bottom heavy". The male center of gravity divides their tops from their bottoms approximately evenly.  This in and of itself  is why most females have greater difficulty jumping vertically compared to males. It is also why most females do not have the ability to compete against males in speed events.  Their wider hips and centers of gravity contribute to this.  It is true that most of us all have the same number of bones and the same number of muscles in our bodies.  We also have the same amount of tendons and ligaments BUT the density and length of these bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments are mostly different between males and females.  It is true that strength can be greatly improved with well devised programs of resistance training and speed can be improved with precise training for quick or slow twitch muscles but still it is very difficult for a trans female to compete in sports that are strength and speed based due to  these physiological facts. 

It is probably true that a male transgendering to a female could compete and in fact have a physical advantage over a female.  Even though both sexes have both female hormones and male hormones in their bodies the process of males transgendering will lower their male hormone (testosterone)  by replacing it with extra female hormones (estrogen).  These trans males will still have their male physique: bones, muscles, tendons and center of gravity etc.  It is not a level playing field for a female who wants to be Transgendered to a male to compete with males in sports that rely on strength and speed. By the same token, it is not a level playing field for a male who wants to transgender to a female to compete with females. This is the issue that is being raised all across the globe.

So what can be done...

I am all about inclusion not exclusion.  I would swim laps and do free exercise in our local YMCA pool often at the same time as water aerobics class was going on and one day I was told that there would be no "free swim area" available when aerobic class was going on.  I said but there is a good size part of the pool that is not used for aerobics and then asked to speak to the Director of swimming.  She met with me the next day and asked what she could do.  I said "instead of leaving folks out and discouraging them why not set a small area for folks who wish to do their own free water exercises off to the side? There are not many so it should not be a problem".  She called me that evening and said what I suggested made good sense.  Include, not exclude.  A spot was set aside so more folks could swim without being left out.  There are examples of games and levels of competition that already exist i.e. Olympics, Special Olympics, Senior Olympics, Paralympics, Gay Games to name a few. These same models can be used to create  Trans Games, a place for trans males to compete with other trans males and trans females to compete with other trans females...that's a level playing field.  Title IX was the beginning of trying to create level playing fields.  This is another facet in the evolution of creating level playing fields.

It's been beautiful to watch the growth of the acceptance and praise for women in sport.  Many of my peers who fought for women's equality in sports (Title IX) are now like myself, in our 70's. Some happen to be lesbians, some are not. We all fought for the same thing but not too many did it openly for fear of losing their jobs.  There is a fear surrounding addressing Trans in sports just like there was surrounding Title IX.  

Strong women with skill and athletic ability have been, since early on, labeled.  You have all heard those labels.  Whispered derogatory names were also spoken in coaches' and officials' offices.  Coaches, often women coaches, told their players to  "dress like a woman", "no short hair cuts" etc.  Homophobia was running rampant in all areas of women's  sports.  To this very day, the homophobic fear that surrounded women in sports for decades is the same fear that keeps people from speaking out and supporting transgendered athletes. Thankfully Professional Women athletes, some openly gay and those who are not gay, are encouraging all girls and women at every level of competition to be themselves. Yet there are still people in the sports world who continue to hold on to their homophobic attitudes.  Until we can separate out homophobia from the issues and challenges inherent in transgendering, and therefore from the further issues and challenges inherent in transgendering and athletics, I fear that any progress will be long in coming and painful for those who really only want to be themselves and compete in the world of sports.