Transgender Athletes are All Over the Sports World, and We Need to Talk About Them

by R. Garzone

April 12, 2022

The LGBTQ+ community has faced discrimination for decades, and it’s still at the forefront of many debates. Trans women have been allowed to compete with women in collegiate sports for nine years and it has been a hot topic since.

Last month, Lia Thomas from UPenn became the first openly transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I national championship when she was victorious in the women’s 500-yard freestyle swim.

Because of her achievements, there is controversy surrounding trans women being allowed in women’s sports. This debate is heard over and over again, mainly when a trans woman has any kind of success.

“She has an unfair advantage” is a common phrase people use when talking about trans women competing against women. Because they were born in a male body and testosterone levels are higher, this argument can be understood. However, it’s wrong.

When transitioning, trans women undergo Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) which causes many bodily changes. One of the most important changes for sports is fat redistribution, which means body fat will move to the hips and thighs, and muscle mass, bone density, and strength will decrease. Even the Olympics recognize this,as trans athletes have to have their testosterone levels tested before getting cleared to compete.

Lia Thomas has been on HRT since May 2019. After two years of this, most trans women have the same hormone levels as cisgender (non-trans) women. From male to female, performance actually decreases dramatically; Thomas’s times slowed by about 7% after starting HRT. Therefore, she had no biological advantages.

You want to talk about advantages? Michael Phelps, one of the most decorated athletes of all time, has twice the lung capacity as an average person, which allows oxygen to reach muscles faster and improves performance. An article on biography.com goes into seven different advantages Phelps has over his competitors and even calls him “perfect.” Why is that celebrated while a trans woman is berated?

Another argument is that trans athletes dominate sports and that’s why they shouldn’t compete. Trans women have been eligible to compete with women in the Olympics since 2004, and none of them have medaled. As previously mentioned, they’ve been allowed in the NCAA for nine years and yet Lia Thomas is the only name you’ve heard.

Laurel Hubbard, the first openly transgender woman to compete in the Olympics in 2020, didn’t complete any lifts and finished last. Chelsea Wolfe placed fifth in the World BMX Championships. Lia Thomas lost two races before winning her championship.

Trans athletes are not taking over in the sports world, and so what if they were? That doesn’t prove they have an advantage, nor does it justify why they shouldn’t compete where they feel comfortable.

It’s funny to see people contest that trans women should be competing with women, but only if they never win. People preach inclusion until a transgender athlete makes progress. They have been in women’s sports for almost two decades, but you don’t hear about them unless they’re successful.

People are quick to defend the “integrity” of women’s sports when a transgender person excels, but don’t care about women’s sports otherwise. The fact of this country is that women’s sports are ignored. 80% of sports news and highlights include no women at all. Why are women’s sports only relevant when a trans woman makes headlines?

Personally, I don’t care about college swimming and I don’t think that’s an unpopular statement. But as soon as Lia Thomas wins a race, NCAA swimming is suddenly the most important topic. Why?

It all ultimately boils down to transphobia. Nobody pays attention until they want to spread hate. Instead of focusing on punishing trans women for their well-earned, and groundbreaking, achievements, we should be more concerned with eliminating the ignorance and hatred. Transgender athletes belong in sports and bigotry does not.