The recent success of swimmer Lia Thomas, the first transgender woman to win an NCAA swimming championship, has prompted FINA, the international swimming body, to effectively ban transwomen from competing in women’s events. Only swimmers who transitioned before age 12 are permitted to compete in women’s events. This decision is part of a broader anti-trans campaign that seeks to deny transgender youth access to gender-affirming health care.
Efforts like these disproportionately affect racialized women from the Global South, who already face significant barriers when it comes to accessing medical interventions and sex testing. The IOC’s new policy on transgender participation may seem progressive at first glance, but in reality, it abandons its responsibility to support the human rights of transgender and cisgender women athletes.
The harm caused by such assessments was foreshadowed by World Rugby’s 2020 ban on transwomen participating in international women’s rugby competitions. This ban was based on the scientifically unsupported claim that transwomen retain vestigial strength that makes their participation unsafe for their cisgender counterparts.
The NCAA followed suit, replacing its leading-edge transgender inclusive policy with one that leaves the inclusion of transgender athletes in the hands of individual sport governing bodies. The recent success of swimmer Lia Thomas prompted this change, which led FINA to effectively ban transwomen from competing in women’s events.
This is not just a matter of fairness or equality; it has significant consequences for racialized women from the Global South who are already marginalized and excluded from sports at large. Sex testing and medical interventions disproportionately affect these individuals, forcing them to navigate complex systems that prioritize cisgender norms over their own well-being.
The broader anti-trans campaigns also seek to deny transgender youth access to gender-affirming health care specifically hormone blockers required to avoid an unwanted puberty. Many U.S. states and Alberta have banned or are planning to ban access to affirming health care for youth under 16, signaling that transgender women and girls will never be able to compete in women’s sport.
These laws and policies signal that transgender women and girls are not welcome in sports, violating their privacy if they attempt to participate. This has significant consequences for cisgender girls who don’t conform to gender norms, subjecting them to anti-trans surveillance and harassment.
Conservative groups claim these measures protect sport for women and girls by banning the participation of transgender women and girls. However, their actions reveal themselves as enemies of gender equity and reproductive freedom not just for transgender individuals but also for cisgender athletes who deserve well-funded and gender-equitable sporting spaces that include all individuals regardless of their gender identity or expression.
Ultimately, it is crucial to recognize the intersectional nature of these issues how they intersect with race, class, sexuality, and other forms of oppression. By acknowledging this complexity and working towards inclusive policies that support the human rights of all athletes cisgender and transgender alike we can create a more just and equitable sporting landscape for everyone involved.