Transgender athletes shouldn’t compete in the same category as biological women. These athletes now identify as female, but still have the same bone structure, build, and qualities as a biological male, making the competition unfair. As a result I am asking the NCAA to recognize and acknowledge that transgender athletes have been taking opportunities away from biological women.
Selina Soule attends Glastonbury High School and is an activist against having transgender athletes in the same category as biological women. Her mother states, “My daughter would have qualified for the New England regionals in the 55-meter dash in Spring 2019, but instead, the top two spots went to [assigned males at birth]. She lost her chance to compete and instead had to watch from the stands” (Bianca Stanescu). Transgender athletes are taking spots in races where biological women would have once stood. It is more challenging for a biological woman to compete with a transgender athlete.
In an article written by Joseph Simonson, he talks about transgender athletes breaking biological women’s records. He said that these athletes, “. . . now hold 15 state women championship titles and 17 school records.” They are also being recruited by colleges because of their abilities against biological women. When Simonson interviewed Madi Kenyon, who runs for the Idaho State track team, echoes the sentiment, “The only reason I’m able to go to the college I go to is because of my athletic scholarship . . . That’s one of the reasons I want to keep a fair playing field for women. When we get scholarships, we can get further education and jobs. It creates opportunities for women, not just on the athletic field, but all parts of our lives.” Women struggle in industries and having them compete with biological males continues to limit their abilities to thrive.
Although this topic can be viewed as inconsiderate to transgender athletes and their transitional period, it is actually arguing to the NCAA. They need to find a way to make transgender athletes and biological women compete against fair competition, hether that conclusion comes to adding an extra race specifically for transgender athletes or by creating an alternate team for the athletes. A gender neutral race would allow transgender athletes an opportunity to compete against others in a similar playing field. There, they can break and create their own personal records. There, they can get their own scholarships, without taking one away from others due to a difference in natural born ability.
The NCAA needs to make a change to the system. The world is evolving at a rapid rate and everyone has to adjust to what is coming next. Transgender women are still women and need to be given equal opportunities to show their greatness without interfering with others.