Trans athletes are speaking out against bills to ban them from sports | USA TODAY

Transgender athletes are speaking up as over half the states in the U.S. consider bills to ban trans students from competing in women's sports

Trans athletes are firing back against proposed bills in 26 states to ban trans kids from competing in girls or women's sports.

On March 11, Mississippi's governor signed one such bill into law. South Dakota's governor will likely sign a similar bill into law soon.

President Biden issued an executive order combating discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation his first day in office, making his position on trans inclusion clear.

Experts say trans equality is becoming one of the fiercest political debates of the decade.

Proponents of banning transgender athletes from girls and women's sports say trans girls and women have unfair advantages over cisgender women.

For trans advocates like six-time Team USA duathlete and triathlete Chris Mosier and world track cycling champion Veronica Ivy, that argument doesn't hold up. They say trans kids, like 14-year-old field hockey player Rebekah Bruesehoff, have the same right to play sports as other kids.

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[jayjee]

They are not being banned from sports, just not to play in the category of the opposite sex.

[minecraftmaster]

I love the part “ testosterone doesn’t give an advantage if it’s produced by your own body. “ biggest lie I’ve heard all day 😂😂😂😂

[minecraftmaster]

I’m more sympathetic to those girls who are losing their scholarships because someone who has had a lot more testosterone than them can strip their title away.

[warrklownn]

Its scary that we ever considered letting dudes beat up on real women. They ahould have theyre own, sport and safe space

[fj]

Veronica Ivy has no sport ethics whatsoever... he was crushing the women's field at international indoor cycling events without any shame or remorse...

[aimeeprincessofpower]

I disagree on one part of the issue. If you're physically male but identify as female it'll give you an unfair advantage over the team that's made up of females that are female. Don't hate, I'm just giving my own view.

[newcreationinchrist]

So how fair is it to put somebody with a man's body in a sport with women or girls? Ridiculous. All of this is utterly ridiculous.

[patriciarambert]

THEY HAVE TO CREATE A CATEGORY CALLED TRANSGENDER SPORTS JUST LIKE PARAPLEGIC SPORTS. NOBODY TAKING AWAY YOUR RIGHTS TO PLAY. YOU JUST HAVE MORE STRENGTH THAT A NATURALLY BORN WOMAN. YOU ARE A MAN. WHAT, THE WORLD GONE CRAZY.

[jamesmaralyn]

I've had a medical condition that prevents myself from competing officially. Welcome to the world we don't always get what we want.

[MG-kjfx]

Look at the stats of men versus women. Then tell me what is fair.

[stayathomedad]

How about they compete against other lady boys.

[MeagRamtheman]

it’s hard to believe this is even a subject that gets attention.

[TheGuitarded]

It's not a ban. It's clarifying that divisions are - and have always been, defined by biological sex. And trying to find a loophole with semantics (i.e. gender) is utter nonsense.

[lisacarter]

It dont have to do with your preferences, but the fairness to all. Athletes

[davidprince]

"Just because of who I am?". A cheater?

[notgaryoldman]

When talking about physical performance, it's the presence of testosterone during _puberty_ that causes the physiological differences between adult men and women. Removing it after the fact is like making a Bugatti Veyron run on 14 cylinders instead of 16; it's not as fast, but you haven't reverted it to a state where it isn't a performance machine.

[ThatGuy-nrsp]

The right to play is not being taken away from anyone. These are women and girls sports. Not trans girls or trans women sports. What does trans mean? Nobody is against you. As a person, they should know they have an advantage over these non trans females. So why are they ok with doing that to them.

[baileynicolebailey]

So are they coming in our locker room too?

[domochoa]

You can play sports all day. Just not organized sports.

[jusebacho]

save women's sport! This is crazy