The success of transgender athletes has begun to draw more and more backlash from parents, coaches, and athletes in certain communities, who believe there is a possible competitive advantage for some trans athletes. Many deciding bodies, such as The Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference, allow athletes to compete in the gender specific sport in which they identify. The continued success of these transgender athletes has prompted several outspoken individuals to create petitions, and to speak out against transgender athletes.
One of the more known examples of this is Andraya Yearwood, a transgender girl who competed in her first track and field race on Cromwell High School’s women’s team at age 15. She later placed first and second in events at state, eliciting concern from parents and other athletes regarding the fairness of Andraya’s participation. These concerned parents claim that because Andraya has not received hormone treatment, she has an advantage over the other competitors, simply because of biology and testosterone.
There are plenty of other athletes that have received similar backlash. Mack Beggs, a trans boy, competed and took first place in the University Interscholastic League state girls’ championship in 2016. In this case, Beggs was not allowed to wrestle within the league of his choice, and instead wrestled with girls while identifying as a boy. Even with his compliance to these strict gendered rules, Beggs still received criticism for his success.
It seems these issues only come to light when the transgender athlete in question starts winning. The majority of people agree that transgender athletes deserve the opportunity to participate in sports, but struggle to overlook the biological differences they might have.
When it comes down to it, it’s not really about biology. Anyone could have a physical advantage over another player. Sports are about overcoming adversity and working to become the best player on the field, court, track, or whatever surface there is to be the best on. Andraya Yearwood’s father feels the same way, saying “Having played football, there are guys who were 350 pounds, it wasn’t fair that as a 225-pound linebacker, they came to block me, but that’s the nature of the beast.” There are ways to train around any disadvantage, but it takes hard work and perseverance, something every athlete should learn and strive towards.
Giving a young girl the opportunity to feel accepted and validated in a sport she loves and excels at is important and necessary. Take your desperation to cling to gender norms out of sports, and especially out of high schools.
