The majority of elite, world-class female athletes prefer sports to be categorized by the athlete’s biological sex rather than their own gender identity, a new study has found.
The report published in Sports Science Journal On April 16, the organization surveyed 175 “domestic, elite, and world-class athletes eligible to compete in the women’s division” about transgender inclusivity and eligibility.
“Most athletes supported biological sex classification (58%) and believed it was unfair for trans women to compete in women’s categories, except in precision sports,” the survey found. says.
The study divided sports into three categories: precision sports such as archery, sports that “rely heavily on physical ability” such as the 100-meter dash, and “contact sports” such as rugby union.
“This view was held most strongly by world-class athletes regarding their sport (77% unfair, 15% fair).”
Sportswomen opposed the creation of sports based on body or gender identity.
“The majority of athletes did not believe that categories based on gender identity, body size (weight and height), or the 2015 IOC guidance (which focused on serum testosterone) were preferred.”
While female athletes believed it was fair for transgender men to compete against biological males, Olympic athletes felt it was unfair in contact sports and sports that rely heavily on physical ability. was.
The majority thought it was unfair for transgender women to compete against biological women outside of precision sports.
“Most participants (~47%) thought it was unfair for trans women to compete in the female category in contact sports and sports that rely heavily on physical ability, while ~38% thought it was fair. ”
50% of athletes felt it was fair for transgender women to compete in women’s divisions of precision sports.
When it comes to sports governing bodies, 81% of female athletes feel that inclusion of transgender athletes needs to improve.
The study’s authors believe their results could help governing bodies navigate the vortex of modern sports competition.
“This research could be an important resource for sports governing bodies in establishing rules and procedures.”
This study compared the opinions of current Olympic athletes and current Olympic sanctioned athletes, elite athletes and world class athletes, and active and retired Olympic athletes.
The group of athletes included 26 world champions, 22 Olympians (including 2 gold medals, 2 silver medals, and 3 bronze medals), and 6 Paralympians.
The list of top-level athletes, both current and retired, comes from Western countries, with the United States having the highest percentage at 36%, followed by the United Kingdom (17%), Canada (15%) and Finland (10%). It became.
The study’s authors also noted that the majority of those surveyed (94.2%) supported gender transition outside of competition.
“Importantly, while the voices of high-level athletes show that transgender inclusion is valued, equity must be a priority for athletes at the highest competitive level.” said Dr. Shane Heffernan. said the Swansea University professor.
A Trans High School athlete easily won the first heat of the girls’ 200-meter varsity race at the Sherwood Need for Speed Classic in Oregon last week.
McDaniel High School sophomore Aiden Gallagher clocked a time of 25.49 seconds, and the athletes crossed the finish line in the 31-second range.
Gallagher ultimately lost to winner Astor Jones in the final, finishing in second place.
A transgender golfer who dreams of competing on the WPGA was recently kicked out of the Women’s Professional Tour after administrators changed the rules requiring all competitors to be “biologically female at birth.”
Hayley Davidson announced in March that she was removed from the NXXT Women’s Pro Tour
The tour was forced to change from its original decision to field Davidson, giving her a better chance of winning the tournament and earning a spot on the qualifying tour.
Earlier this month, the National Association of Collegiate Athletics announced that it would ban transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports.
“Only NAIA student-athletes whose biological sex is female may participate in NAIA-sponsored competitions.
Women’s sports In announcing the decision, the organization said:.
The NCAA, the largest governing body for college athletics, has faced opposition in recent years for allowing Leah Thomas, the first openly trans woman swimmer at the University of Pennsylvania, to win an NCAA Division I title. .
On Long Island, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman signed a law banning trans athletes from competing with biological girls at any of the county’s 100 athletic facilities.
The ban was supported by former Olympic champion Caitlyn Jenner, who attended the press conference announcing the ban with Blakeman in March.
Jenner, perhaps one of the most famous transgender celebrities in the world, said biological males should not be allowed to participate in women’s sports to “protect the integrity of the sport.”
