When I Played Women's Sports in the NCAA, I Would've Opposed Trans Women. But Here Are 7 Reasons Why I Would've Been Wrong.

I was so heartened to see coach Dawn Staley recently issue her support for trans women in sports. I’m a trans man, and I specialize in trans mental health and LGBTQ+ inclusion. But in my younger days, I was a competitive athlete–a southpaw pitcher in women’s fastpitch softball. I was a high-school standout, and played in college at the Division I level. Given the polarizing nature of the topic of trans women in sports, I’ve reflected on how I might’ve felt about this back then, laser-focused on success and a college scholarship in a zero-sum game.

 Photo of me pitching in college, kind of intense face...sorry bout that.

I'm pretty certain that I would’ve been opposed to trans women on the field with me back then.

But I would’ve been wrong, and I’d like to explain why.  

To most people who oppose trans women in sports, the issue seems almost comically straightforward. Physiological changes that take place during a testosterone-driven puberty seem like they'd give trans women an edge over cis women unilaterally–but it’s just not that simple. While I would’ve felt differently in my younger days, here are 7 non-exhaustive reasons why trans women belong in women's sports. 

1. It's a Scientifically Supported Conclusion:

   Research demonstrates that trans women who go through testosterone suppression don't have clear biological advantages over cisgender women at elite levels. To be clear, there's a lot of complex and flawed biological data out there, but one thing that does seem clear is this--broadly banning trans women and girls from participation in sports fundamentally lacks a scientific basis. The logic of banning trans girls from youth sports particularly perplexing, since states are literally banning prepubertal trans girls from participating with their peers. You can make no logical argument for a competitive advantage at this age--that's purely discriminatory and harmful to an already vulnerable group of kids. 

2. Biological Diversity Is a Fact, Not a Problem

   Biological sex and gender are spectra, not binaries. Understanding this complexity is crucial for developing fair sports policies. As much as we'd like to think that sex can be neatly categorized into male and female boxes, nature is simply not that organized.

   Deconstructing that belief can feel a little like no longer believing in Santa Claus - the world becomes fundamentally more complex and difficult to wrap your mind around. But it's the reality. 

3. Ethics of Fair Play

   Ethical sportsmanship means ensuring all athletes, regardless of gender identity, have the opportunity to compete in a safe and respectful environment. It's so critical to not make the same mistake we tend to make when talking about trans communities, and reduce our complex selves to bodies and biological measurements. That's fundamentally dehumanizing, and while this is a wedge issue that suits itself particularly well for this narrative to run wild, it's harmful to all female athletes, cis and trans alike. But more on that a little later...

4. Trans Athletes Are Rarely Dominant

   There is no widespread evidence of trans women dominating women’s sports, suggesting fears are based more on bias than reality. There simply aren't enough trans female elite athletes to create a large enough sample for meaningful study. This makes it difficult to answer these questions accurately!

5.  The Paradigms Used to Exclude Trans Women Have Racist Origins

   When trans women are attacked, or when elite female athletes with intersex traits have been singled out for "unfair advantage," this has disproportionately affected women of color, and women from the Global South. South African track start Caster Semenya is a prime example, as are Christina Mboma and Beatrice Masilingi. 

   It's no surprise this is the case, since our ideas about what constitutes "maleness" and "femaleness" are deeply intertwined with philosophies that categorized adherence to the gender binary along racial lines (White lesbians were described as equal in "sexual dimorphism" to Black heterosexual women, for example). So the socially constructed concepts of gender AND race were developed at the same time, and they overlap with one another to place white men at the top of the hierarchy. White feminist spaces have struggled with trans female inclusion more categorically than spaces with an intersectional feminist philosophy for this very reason. BIPOC folks can more easily hear the dog whistle of discrimination in arguments based in biological determinism, because these communities have direct experience with its use as a weapon. Just look up how the Williams sisters have been described as "brothers" in the past, or how athletes like Simone Biles are disparaged for not being "appropriately female" and having an unfair advantage. So when we talk about unfair advantages based on biology, don't be fooled that this will only be applied to trans women, or only harm trans women.

   We'll be embedding racism within the system of athletics even more firmly by choosing to exclude trans women in sports. 

6. This will do more harm to all women. 

   Now that this debate has embedded itself so deeply into the mainstream, it's not uncommon for people to "accuse" athletes of being trans when they aren't. So in addition to women of color being disproportionately harmed by this, the scrutiny placed on all women is already proving harmful to cis female athletes, even as young as 10 years old. If you want to truly talk about problems in women's sports, follow the discussion about Caitlin Clark's WNBA contract, the pay equity battles of US Women's Soccer, innumerable sexual abuse scandals, ongoing misogyny and lack of equal opportunity, and so on.

   Trans women in sports are just a red herring that distract from actual problems of equity, and conveniently rely on the same oppressive tools that keep white men at the top of the food chain, all in the name of "protecting women."

7. Natural Variability as a Benign Competitive Edge

   A natural difference in height is perhaps the only solid natural advantage that may persist for a trans woman after hormone treatment otherwise levels the playing field.

   (And that's only if she went through a testosterone-fueled puberty, which she might avoid with pubertal suppressants in adolescence....which is also being banned in nearly half the states in the country).

   But I would suggest there's a very simple way we could look at a potential physical advantage:

   As a benign, God-given competitive edge like any other.

   We marvel at Michael Phelps' natural advantages--wingspan, joint flexibility, etc. that gave him a competitive edge in the pool.

   I also enjoyed the natural advantage of being a lefty pitcher for my entire career! And all without a single person bemoaning that I only got as far as I did due to my left-handedness, or anyone suggesting Michael Phelps be disqualified due to his body characteristics.

   This recognition reflects a mature understanding that all athletes come with unique physical compositions that might offer advantages in specific scenarios. And some where it might not! Height isn't that much of an advantage when it comes to gymnastics, for example, but is more important in basketball. So all sports aren't created equal here, even if you were to argue about unfair advantage. 

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These are some of the main reasons it's more reasonable to include trans women than it would be to exclude them from women's sports. It's not exhaustive, and there are more layers we could dig into, which I'd be happy to do. And if after reading this, you're still struggling to accept this idea, let's cover two quick things that might help you shift your paradigm a bit. 

First, we must agree that trans women are women--period. End of sentence.

Rhetoric suggesting male invasion in female spaces is simply inaccurate, and incredibly harmful. If we can actually get there, then it's much easier to view any potential physiological advantages as benign and non-disqualifying, and stop dehumanizing people. These are women, fighting to compete in sport with their peers. 

Second, can we take a step back and ask ourselves what the purpose of sport actually IS at the end of the day?

For children and student-athletes--who are the most strongly impacted here, it's about social connection, building mastery, learning teamwork, challenging yourself, and building a strong sense of self.

By banning trans girls from competing with their peers, we categorically block them from accessing the wonderful things about sport that I and many other former female athletes benefitted from.

Perhaps the greatest absurdity of this entire debate is that we're talking about biological parameters for Olympic athletes, pro athletes, and NCAA competitors---when it's K-12 athletes who are the most strongly impacted and harmed here. That's just nonsensical. But even for elite athletes, much of the goals and purposes of sport are the same. We look to these athletes as we always have--to marvel at the boundaries of human possibility and achievement, and feel in awe to be part of a species capable of such greatness.

By excluding a group of people from participating in this great tradition, we fundamentally destroy the very things that make athletics so great in the first place.