Sports governing bodies are in a bit of a bind as transwomen (biological men who identify as women) are slowly making their mark in women’s sports. This situation would have never happened just a few years ago, but the current political climate and pressure from trans activists have allowed transwomen to participate in sports.
There Is No Difference Between Men and Women
Activists for trans rights will often declare that there is no biological difference between men and women. Tennis star Serena Williams will be the first to deny that statement, and tennis radar guns can clearly show the difference. Activists will often point out that the pronounced difference in strength and other physical differences are purely because of upbringing and social dictates.
Once again, Serena Williams can be a testament to the invalidity of that assertion. Williams was trained by her father at the early age of four, and that training has produced remarkable results. Williams has dominated women’s tennis and is considered as one of the best tennis players in the word.
However, even with all her training, she admits that she would probably rank lower than 200 if she played in the men’s division. There are reasons why sports are segregated, and biology is one of them.
Testosterone and the Human Body
Testosterone is an anabolic steroid that increases muscle mass and strength and reduces body fat. It also increases the mass, density, and strength of bones. Boys going through puberty will experience a sharp increase in testosterone in their body, which will produce the associated changes. Testosterone levels in men will remain high and only decline in the later stages of life.
Women have significantly lower testosterone in their systems, and changes in their bone density and musculature are nowhere near that of men. World records for women’s athletic events — except long distance running and swimming — do not come close to those of men.
In the Olympics, the only events where women compete against men are equestrian ones. These competitions rely on the physicality of the horse and the control of its rider, so differences between men and women are mostly inconsequential to the sport.
Future Ramifications
Transwomen entering women’s sports can have dire consequences for women. Trans athletes have broken records in women’s track events, and transwomen are slowly rising in rank in their various sports. Being born biologically male will not immediately make you a great athlete, but it will endow certain advantages when compared to the opposite sex.
Caster Semenya, a controversial runner because of her hyperandrogenism (a condition that produces high amounts of testosterone in the body), has been winning World Championships and winning Olympic gold medals. However, even with her unnaturally high amounts of testosterone, her numbers aren’t even competitive when compared to men’s records. A trans athlete on the higher spectrum of physicality and ability will dominate women’s sports and put women at a disadvantage.
Transgender individuals should be free to live their lives as they want, but competing in women’s sports poses significant problems. Women will be naturally disadvantaged, and there might come a time when trans athletes dominate the majority of women’s sports.
