Transwomen as Criminals in sport

Transwomen as Criminals in sport. Olivia Reid. Full frame shot of wall with worn out sky blue paint.

The Protection of women and girls in sport act of 2021.

Title IX. “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance” Federally funded institutions (schools) prohibit discrimination Smith (2017): “courts interpreting Title IX and similar statutes have generally concluded that Congress made no considerations for transgender persons when enacting this legislation" (pp. 316-317).

Sex. Biological and physiological characteristics Hormones, chromosomes, reproductive organs Determined at birth.

Why is this important?. It is important to note The Protection of Women and Girls in Sport Act of 2021 and Title IX only take “sex” into consideration Bills look at transwomen athletes as biological beings rather than human beings with freedom of gender expression.

The basis. What was the basis of these Bills? That men are physiologically stronger than women Protecting the integrity of “women’s” sports Maintaining sex segregation in sport.

The implications. The Protection of Women and Girls in Sport Act of 2021 and Title IX are Bills based on prohibiting discrimination, but do not have a broad enough spectrum of who gets protection Not only is there no consideration for transwomen, but there is threat of loss of funding if institutions do allow their participation The Protection of Women and Girls in Sport Act of 2021 States: “It shall be a violation of subsection (a) for a recipient of Federal funds who operates, sponsors, or facilitates athletic programs or activities to permit a person whose sex is male to participate in an athletic program or activity that is designated for women or girls”.

The implications. Per Title IX, should a federally funded institution allow a transwoman athlete to participate on a sports team without undergoing extensive testing, they are not adhering to the Bill and therefore could lose their funding The governments enforcing of these Laws shape how society views transwomen athletes Pardo & Sandberg (2021): In 2016, the Obama administration issued similar guidance stating that Title IX protected transgender students. In 2017, the Trump administration reversed course and rescinded the guidance, and additionally threatened to withhold federal funding from schools that allowed transgender students to participate in sports consistent with their gender identities. (p. 1).

The implications. What precedent does this set for society? As lawmakers determine transwomen athletes to be in violation of these Bills, it sets precedent for society Cisgender women need “protecting” from transgender women Transwomen as criminals A threat to “women's” sport “Women”, in this case, only being defined as cisgender women Sharrow (2021) states: “lawmakers advance these assumptions by conflating segregated structures with the practice of equality and by suggesting that the integrity of egalitarianism and “fair” competition is only preserved through a sex-segregated athletic system” (p. 12)..

The impact of language.