The topic of transgender issues, especially in sports, has been a common subject recently. I've been reluctant to chime in just because I know some transgender women, and feel sensitive to their feelings on the matter. However, I feel I finally do need to say something, just to add some perspective.
First of all, I feel sensitive to these people. Anyone (teenage or older) with what is known as gender dysphoria, have a tough time getting through life. People don't understand them. Even their own families don't understand them. I can see this being a very, very lonely existence. And I've seen that even in the case where they are in a community of LGBTQ groups, often times they are even rejected there when it comes to dating or even having more than a casual relationship. So the loneliness doesn't go away.
And I make a distinction between transgender women, who are men who have had surgery and transitioned to be women; and then there are a broader group of men who "identify" as being a women, although have not had the surgery, and may never have the surgery.
Where this applies to women's sports is where I feel the line needs some attention. Generally speaking, males have more testosterone than females. This gives a young male an advantage on growing and building muscles as he grows up. And after training for years and eventually transitioning to female, this advantage doesn't go away. This person has an unfair advantage over the women who have trained their whole lives without the higher levels of testosterone, and so their muscles and athletic performance suffers in comparison.
Women who would otherwise make the team, suddenly are edged out, because someone who benefitted from testosterone during those formative years, has edged them out. It isn't fair.
Consider that currently, no sanctioning organization allowed for females to take testosterone injections to enhance their abilities through the years. So they don't even get a chance for enhancement, whereas the person that transitions from male to female, does get the enhancement. It's not fair.
The whole point of women's sports, is so that girls and women would be able to compete just like the boys and men do. It is not fair for them to be elite athletes in their field, only to be edged out by someone who was born male. And in many cases, the transgender women, as a male, if competing against men, wouldn't even be able to make the men's team.
And if you think it is fair, consider that we don't see females transitioning to male, and then wanting to compete in men's sports. It wouldn't make sense.
Testosterone is an advantage.
Like I said before, I sympathize with the life of a person that doesn't feel at ease in their own bodies. But in my opinion, transitioned or just identifying as a female, I think if they have XY chromosomes, they should be competing against other athletes with that same set of chromosomes. That is the more fair approach.
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