Essay on Transgender Participation in Competitive Sports: Critics Argue Performance Advantages

The participation of transgender persons in competitive sports has always been criticized and controversial. Critics base their arguments on hormonal factors in which they consider transwomen athletes to have high testosterone hormones. Physiological factors, like weight and height, are also considered. For instance, the critics argue that transgender women tend to retain performance advantage as they transition as opposed to the women who personally identify with the sex they were assigned when born. However, the evidence to support these arguments is inadequate hence, there would be the need to establish whether or not transgender athletes should be given equal opportunity to compete in elite sports.

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Elite sports can only achieve its empowerment goals if it provides equal opportunities for competition. The debate on transgender in sports needs compromise and not conflict. The argument of critics that transgender women have stronger muscles than the cis women is unproved (Devine, 2019). In essence, the capacity for muscle growth lies in the cell contents. Since the muscle cells contain myonuclei, the size of the muscle will depend on the number of myonuclei that a person has. Also, high testosterone levels lead to a high number of myonuclear that will remain the same, even when the levels of testosterone are lowered (Devine, 2019).

Ideally, there is a need to respect the right of all athletes to participate in sports. When the transgendered women are denied the chance of participation, they may feel isolated and stigmatized in society (Jones et al. 2017). A cisgender person would not just manipulate the system to become transgender due to the lasting consequences that will come forth. Transgender women are also not a big threat to elite sports and should be allowed to participate.

Barring transgender athletes from participating in elite sports hurts. Young people will start to think that they have no place in the sporting field, even when it is where they may find a sense of belonging and hope (Jones et al. 2017). Athletes come in various sizes, skills, and levels of ability, and it is unfair to determine who should compete in sports based on gender differences. Fairness forms the premise of any competitive game and would help do away with prejudice and discrimination as a consequence of the gender identities of individuals.

Conclusion

In conclusion, most transgender people have negative experiences in competitive sports and sport-related activities. Globally, various sports organizations tend to over-interpret the athletic advantage, which transgender athletes are perceived to possess. It should be questioned as to whether hormonal factors are a useful athletic advantage marker. Due to the physical and mental health benefits of sport as a form of physical activity, I believe that transgender athletes should be given a chance to compete with the cisgender athletes in elite sports.

References

Devine, J. W. (2019). Gender, steroids, and fairness in sport. Sport, Ethics and Philosophy, 13(2), 161-169. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1080/17511321.2017.1404627

Jones, B. A., Arcelus, J., Bouman, W. P., & Haycraft, E. (2017). Sport and transgender people: A systematic review of the literature relating to sport participation and competitive sport policies. Sports Medicine, 47(4), 701-716. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-016-0621-y