Attacks on trans athletes harm all of us. Learn what your community can do to avoid this harm.
By Keshet
Political attacks against trans athletes and their participation in sports have skyrocketed. According to their proponents, trans sports bans are about “fairness” and are often described as separate from other efforts to restrict trans rights. But attacks on transgender participation in sports have never been about fairness. Or sports. It is critical to understand how attacks on trans athletes are connected to the broader anti-LGBTQ+ political agenda, what they are actually about (ideology, not science), how they harm all of us, and what our communities can do to avoid the traps set out in front of us.
Scientific Research Does Not Support Trans Sports Bans: The majority of studies on trans athletes report inconclusive results or explicitly state they cannot justify bans. Research is often cherry-picked to support ideological positions, and the emphasis on testosterone as the primary factor in athleticism is flawed. Even studies cited by lawmakers acknowledge the complexity of the relationship between hormones and performance.
Trans Athletes Do Not Harm Women’s Sports: There is no evidence that trans athletes have had a measurable impact on the success of cisgender athletes. Athletic ability varies greatly among individuals, and transgender status is not a determining factor in success. Trans athletes have been competing openly for decades, and women’s sports have continued to thrive. Despite a surge in media coverage, lawmakers behind these bans struggle to cite actual cases of conflicts involving trans athletes in their states.
Trans Sports Bans Are Not About Fairness: The argument for banning trans athletes often claims to be about “fairness,” yet these bans are part of a broader agenda to push transgender people out of public life. States that enact these bans frequently go on to implement some of the most restrictive anti-trans laws, including bans on gender-affirming care, restrictions on identification documents, and limitations on LGBTQ+ representation in public spaces.
“Protecting Women’s Sports” Is a Misleading Justification: Trans women are women. When we say women, that includes all women. Feminism, when inclusive and intersectional, is good for everyone. If the goal were truly to protect women’s sports, efforts would focus on addressing discrimination, unequal funding, pay inequities, lack of media coverage, limited sponsorships, higher rates of sexual harassment, and Title IX enforcement. Instead, the phrase “protecting women’s sports” has been co-opted as a means to exclude transgender women and girls. Advocating for women’s sports should mean pushing for greater opportunities, combating sexual assault, securing fair media coverage, and ensuring representation in leadership. Excluding trans women and girls does nothing to address these real issues.
Trans-Exclusive Bans Harm Transgender Youth: While trans-inclusive policies have no negative impact on cisgender athletes, trans-exclusive bans create significant barriers for transgender youth. Transgender youth are already less likely to participate in sports than their cisgender peers due to policy restrictions and widespread bullying or harassment from teammates and coaches when they disclose their identity. The Human Rights Campaign found that LGBTQ+ youth athletes were significantly more likely than non-athletes to feel safe in their classrooms and less likely to experience feelings of depression or worthlessness. Those who previously played sports but stopped were the least likely to feel safe at school and the most likely to report poor mental health.
Sports Bans Have Negative Impacts at All Levels of Competition: Bans on trans athletes extend far beyond elite competitions, affecting everything from swimming to disc golf to chess, and policing the participation of children at all ages and levels.
Invasive Gender Policing Impacts All Women and Girls: Enforcement of these bans often imposes burdensome and/or invasive requirements, including traumatic and age-inappropriate medical exams to examine “internal or external genitalia,” expensive and extraordinary DNA testing, bloodwork for hormone levels, or other ill-conceived and unscientific ‘gender’ tests. In addition to transgender girls and intersex athletes being excluded, cisgender (non-transgender) girls in states with these bans have been accused of violating the bans because other players or their parents believed they were too talented, too strong, or too tall to be girls — and the harassment they have faced has in some cases made it impossible to continue to play. An overwhelming number of women’s rights and gender justice organizations recognize that this gender policing harms all women and girls.
Sports Foster Resilience and Mental Well-Being: Participation in sports provides critical opportunities for vulnerable youth, particularly those who have faced adversity. For transgender youth, sports can serve as a source of resilience and empowerment, mitigating the effects of discrimination, victimization, and stigma while promoting mental health and well-being.
Inclusive Policies Improve Safety and Belonging: When transgender youth are accepted as teammates and competitors, they gain the same benefits as all athletes. Research shows that schools with LGBTQ+ inclusive policies, such as anti-bullying measures, report lower suicide attempts and higher levels of school belonging. Gender-inclusive sports policies similarly contribute to safer, more welcoming environments for all students.
Sports Build Social Cohesion and Reduce Prejudice: Athletic participation fosters meaningful interactions among cisgender and transgender individuals (as well as across many other lines of difference), promoting empathy and understanding. These relationships help reduce transphobia, exclusionary attitudes, and prejudice, creating more inclusive communities.
Supportive Environments Save Lives: LGBTQ+ youth who are a part of accepting communities are significantly less likely to attempt suicide. Ensuring transgender youth have access to inclusive sports opportunities contributes to a broader culture of acceptance, improving mental health outcomes and overall well-being.
As Jewish leaders and institutions, it is our responsibility to honor the dignity and divinity of all of our community members and do our part to ensure trans athletes can access the benefits listed above. Here are steps you can take to do just that:
National Office - Boston
1860 Washington St.
Newton, MA 02466
Phone: 617.524.9227
New York / Bay Area / Chicago / Florida / Texas
