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Week 8 - Assignment: Issue of Sex and Gender in Society Today
Rodney Ivery
American Public University System
Prof. Dr. Matthew Hubbs
July 27, 2025
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A Critical Essay: The Debate Over Transgender Women in Women’s Sports
Introduction
Debating over transgender women in women's sports, recent national discussions reflect
the balancing act of justice vs. inclusion vs. competition, as the clash of feminism, something so
intertwined with the rights of transgender people from the day they were born to now, seems
inevitable. The debate is to allow transgender women in women's sports. Supporters of
transgender rights in sport argue for equality and recognition for trans people, while opponents
point to fairness based on male puberty-related advantages. In this article, the author discusses
and collects the debate as well as provides an overview of the history, current views, and
potential solutions.
The Issue: Transgender Women in Women's Sports
The real question is whether or not trans women can participate in women's sports.
Advocates of inclusion say people of any gender should be able to compete in sports. They stand
by equal treatment regulations for transgender athletes, including women, who according to them
should be able to compete as such. As Hilton and Lundberg put it, opponents of participation
worry about fairness, arguing that transgender women retain muscular bulk, power, and
endurance from male puberty that will precipitate an "unfair advantage" over cisgender women.
Hormone replacement treatment (HRT) and testosterone suppression are said by some to
mitigate these advantages, allowing fairer competition. However, critics argue that transgender
women may still have inherent advantages that HRT cannot entirely cancel (Cooper, 2023).
Historical Context
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Debate over transgender athletes in sex-segregated sport is one aspect of the broader
issue of gender equality and transgender rights. This issue lies deep in the history of women's
sports and transgender rights. According to historical narrative, social conventions once
restricted women from pursuing sports and engaging in physical fitness activities. Abstract Title
IX was enacted in 1972 to provide equal access to education and athletics for women in the U.S.
(Greenberg, Bruess, & Oswalt, 2014).
In the late 20th century, the transgender rights movement developed to protect
transgender people from discrimination. Transgender athletes came out in the early 2000s,
raising questions about their participation in sports. The issue has been simmering under the
surface for some time, but recent news reports focusing on incidents involving high-profile
athletes and the growing complaints against transgender women competing in elite sport, have
pushed this issue into the spotlight (Lehmiller, 2018).
Support for Transgender Women in Sports
Transgender sports participation is built upon equality and inclusion, and has literally
everything to do with human rights and hardly anything to do with "fairness". Advocates think
that all sport, like different activities should be gender inclusive (Gleaves & Lehrbach, 2016).
Transgender women — who are born male but identify and live as female — are subjected to
discrimination and stereotyping by being excluded from women's sports, they say. While
transgender athletes often face social stigma and barriers to participation and should not be
barred from competing, that does not justify ensuring competitive advantages in sport by
allowing biological males who identify as females to compete against women.
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Supporters point out that HRT (hormone replacement therapy) and testosterone
suppression can considerably change the bodily capabilities of trans females. Research indicates
that non-inclusion of testosterone leads to lesser muscular mass and stamina among male
pubescents (Hilton & Lundberg, 2021). It has been argued that this lowered the bar for
transgender women to compete against cisgender women.
Trans women playing sports allows for social inclusion. Being able to express their
gender identity through sports gives these individuals the attention and validation they so
desperately need in terms of mental health and emotional health (Cooper, 2023).
Opposition to Transgender Women in Sports
Critics argue that during competitions, transgender women in women's sports put
cisgender, or non-transgender, women at a disadvantage. Some critics argue that the effect of
hormone suppression at these levels may give transsexual women a competitive advantage by
maintaining the effects of male puberty including bone density and muscular mass (Hilton &
Lundberg 2021). Hormone treatment does not fully eliminate the advantages of power, speed and
endurance of male athletes in some studies (Cooper, 2023).
The opposition prioritizes justice. But even after medical procedures, opponents say
transgender women form an unfair advantage in sports that emphasize strength or speed. Such
advantages might reduce the integrity of women's sports, leading to an inequivalent playing-field
among female athletes.
Critics argue that transgender women could steal opportunities from cisgender women
The concern is that trans women would overshadow cis women in an underresourced and
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overlooked field, obtaining titles and scholarships that otherwise would have gone to cis women
(Gleaves & Lehrbach, 2016).
Possible Solutions and Effects
Solution 1: Trans Gender Athletes Require Categorical Divisions
Elsewhere in sports, they may find divisions specially for transgender athletes. This
would mean that trans women would only compete against other trans women — not cis women
— providing an equitable competition for all competitors. This proposal states they are keeping
women sports fair and are still allowing transgender athletes (Cooper, 2023).
This resolution may, for instance, offer significant problems. By not allowing transgender
athletes to compete against cisgender athletes, it may contribute to a slippery slope of
marginalization of transgender athletes and minimize the exposure to our cisgender students and
adult population. Creating new categories would require significant, in-demand organizational
changes that could be logistically challenging. Cisgender athletes would be categorized based on
genitalia, reinforcing bias and misconceptions about gender identity.
Solution 2: Tougher Regulations on Inclusion
Tougher medical guidelines could allow transgender women to compete in women's
sports against other females on an open playing field. That could mean more stringent
testosterone suppression standards and testing to make sure trans women are not holding onto the
physical edge. The IOC also requires it that it is necessary for transgender women to suppress
their testosterone levels for a minimum of one year prior to competing in any women's
competitions (Hilton & Lundberg, 2021).
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Such a resolution would keep trans women in women's sports while preserving fairness.
It would include and recognize transgender athletes while also laying out clear guidelines for
equal competition. The opponents say these limitations may not eliminate all the benefits of male
puberty. This would require transgender athletes to prove their eligibility, thus potentially
creating an intrusive and costly medical surveillance regime (Gleaves & Lehrbach, 2016).
Conclusion
All in all, the issue of transgender athletes in women's sports is a charged debate
involving many layers of fairness, inclusion and equity. Supporters of transgender access have
pointed to a need to respect individuals' gender identity and the importance of the competition
opportunity itself, while others have continued to raise testable but credible fairness concerns
about whether transgender women have advantages in the competition. And as society works
through this issue, solutions that can satisfy both transgender and cisgender female athletes will
be vital. The goal should be for all genders to have an equal, accessible, and fair sporting field.
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References
Cooper, J. (2023). Fair competition and inclusion in sport: Avoiding the marginalization of
intersex and trans women athletes. Philosophies, 8(2), 28.
Gleaves, J., & Lehrbach, T. (2016). Beyond fairness: The ethics of inclusion for transgender and
intersex athletes. Journal of the Philosophy of Sport, 43(2), 311-326.
Greenberg, J. S., Bruess, C. E., & Oswalt, S. B. (2014). Exploring the dimensions of human
sexuality (5th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Hilton, E. N., & Lundberg, T. R. (2021). Transgender women in the female category of sport:
perspectives on testosterone suppression and performance advantage. Sports
medicine, 51(2), 199-214.
Lehmiller, J. J. (2018). The psychology of human sexuality (2nd ed.). Wiley-Blackwell.
