Traditionally, sports have simply been classified into male and female categories. The idea is that there are physiological differences between the two genders which will be quite unfair not to consider, especially since sports are competitive. Without giving an advantage to one over the other, it makes sense to separate the sports so they can compete fairly.
The Denver Post | Traditionally, sports have simply been classified into male and female categories
In modern times and with the public emergence of the LGBTQ, sports are having more issues with accommodating this group. This is not necessarily discriminatory but more of a challenge to maintain the original fairness that was easier to establish in the past. A major issue being whether transgendered women should be allowed to participate in women's sports.
Presently, a lot of states in the US have bills that would limit who should be allowed to participate in women's sports, especially because trans women seem to be winning the competitions and the biological women are left feeling unfairly matched.
Caitlyn Jenner, a trans woman who is also looking to take the gubernatorial seat in California, has previously discussed the issue of trans women in school sports.
Vanity Fair | Caitlyn Jenner is also looking to take the gubernatorial seat in California
"This is a question of fairness. That's why I oppose biological boys who are trans competing in girls' sports in school," Jenner had said when responding to a reporter who asked her about the bills being presented by legislators banning transgendered athletes from taking part in sports within the gender category they now identify with. She has since received a lot of criticism from the trans community with a lot of them saying she does not reflect their views nor does she speak for them.
Some believe that athletes are never evenly matched. They are of the opinion that advantages and disadvantages occur in areas like genes, economic wealth, and access to better training facilities to name some, and being transgendered is not such a determining factor for advantage. The issue is a lot more complicated than many like to admit, and Caitlyn Jenner as well has repeatedly changed her original stance on it with the passage of time.
As a political aspirant and a public face for the trans community, Jenner struggles with her own personal perspectives alongside supporting the trans community which she is a part of. Currently, she believes that one of the things she will do as governor is to set up a commission to determine which players are ‘truly trans’ to participate in their gender category sports.
BBC | Jenner has since received a lot of criticism from the trans community after her statement
She says those who transition at a very young age and have received proper hormonal treatment to enable them to grow up as girls, should be able to compete in women's sports, although the feasibility of this is largely questionable because it does not account for the higher percentage of trans women who discovered their true gender identity later in life, even just like she also did.
LGBTQ issues like this actually signify some progress because the existence of the issues and discussions on them mean there’s recognition of the community. Hopefully, in the future, there would be more understanding and balanced ways of total inclusion.
