Louisiana is the latest state, to join 18 others, in banning transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports. Governor Bel Edwards doesn’t believe transgender athletes have an unfair physical advantage when they do.
Edwards called the fear made-up and purposefully harmful to members of the LGBTQ community.
No, it’s not and this is where this rhetoric is dangerous to the LGBT community. The LGBT community is fully aware of their anatomy and biological makeup. Feeling as if they were born into the wrong body doesn’t take away from the DNA in their system and corresponding hormonal levels that are addressed to transition.
As more states continue to pass laws banning transgender women from competing against biological women we must not conflate this with being anti-trans. Women need to also stand up and make their voices heard and not wait for legislation to be passed to address the issue either.
As women continue to fight for equal pay in sports like their male counterparts, they scored a huge victory when the U.S. Soccer Federation announced it reached a deal to pay the U.S. Men’s National Team and the U.S. Women’s National Team equally, eliminating a contentious pay gap that saw female players earning less.
By allowing transgender athletes to compete against biological women is a step backwards.
Transgender athletes have a right to live their life how they want, and how they want to be seen, however, to believe they have a right to compete against biological women is where a line has to be drawn.
Simultaneously, biological women need to make their demands loud and clear by refusing to compete against a transgender athlete, if they truly have an issue with it. Instead, they continue to compete which sends a conflicting message.
I am old enough to remember the outrage over the release of a private phone call between the then owner of the Los Angeles Clippers and a female friend of his.
Local activists in Los Angeles called for the ouster of Donald Sterling and many wanted to players to “send a message” of their disgust in playing for an owner who was “racist” and instead of forgoing playing in the playoffs, they instead walked to the center of the court and threw down their jerseys then turned them inside out.
During the game commentator Jeff Van Gundy expressed his wish that the players would do more.
“The only action that is wrong is inaction or neutrality,” he said at the beginning of ABC’s broadcast of the game. I would like the players to make a statement about how racism has no place [here], or for them to sit on the bench for 15 minutes before the game.”
“There are some things that are bigger than pursuing a championship. Making a stand on something that impacts society is more important,” he said.
Van Gundy went on to say: “I’ve heard some people say they can’t speak to it because their team told them not to. Are you kidding me? You’re a grown man, speak up for what you believe.”
That is what I expected from the women’s swim team at Penn State who are in protest of competing alongside Lia Thomas.
One by one, with their identities shielded and voices altered, they spoke of how Penn State wouldn’t allow them to speak out against what they felt was wrong. Instead, they cowered and hid possibly to keep their scholarships intact.
Like Van Gundy said, which is true now, why not make a stand for something and use your grown woman voice while doing so?
Did they forget about the #MeToo movement?
Look at Caster Semenya.
As a Black woman she is constantly having to prove being born a woman, while a Caucasian transgender athlete has carte-blanche to compete against biological women despite being a biological man. Some reports applaud the transgender athlete for “smashing” records in their respective sport.
We speak out loudly about freedom of choice, we speak loudly about gun violence, and we speak loudly of inequity, and not listening to women but the women need to take action without waiting to have legislators do it for them.
Caitlyn Jenner is a prime example of an athlete who understands that despite reducing hormone levels, you won’t see her competing against biological women.
“I feel sorry for the other athletes that are out there, especially at Penn or anybody she’s competing against, because in the woke world, you’ve got to say, ‘Oh, my gosh! This is great!’ and on and on and on. No, it’s not.”
“It’s not good for women’s sports,” she added. “It’s unfortunate that this is happening.”
Simply put, women need to stop competing against transgender athletes, which could ultimately be the end of women’s sports as we know it.
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2 Comments
You are wrong. Learn science.
There are only two genders. You compete in the gender born with. Period.