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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

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Vanessa Delgado: Let the kids play on the team that matches who they are

Girls run during a high school cross country meet.  (Spokesman-Review Photo Archives)
Vanessa Delgado

By Vanessa Delgado

Throughout human history, athletes of all gender identities have had physical differences that provide an “advantage” in competition – including height, weight, hand/foot size, arm/leg length, handedness, flexibility and stamina – that are not related to gender identity or sex assigned at birth. The idea that transgender girls should not compete in girls sports is exclusively transphobic and has no place in schools.

The rhetoric around this topic is solely used to discriminate against transgender students, perpetuate false claims, and other on an already marginalized population. This is particularly dangerous because it is bullying behavior against children at the hands of adults who have otherwise been tasked with providing inclusive and safe places for them to learn safely, participate in extracurricular activities freely, and build lifelong friendships with teammates.

The focus on trans girls playing on girls sports teams is actually rooted in misogyny and sexism. There is rarely as much vitriol for trans boys playing on boys sports teams. For decades girls and women, both trans and cis, have been campaigning to be seen and respected as athletes rather than simply seen as playing a watered down version of boys sports. A quick trip into any comments section of a WNBA news story depicts the enormous amount of disdain and hatred that some in society have for women in sports. The notion that women’s sports are not as competitive, physical or entertaining as men’s sports is absurd. Women athletes do not need protection from a nonexistent threat.

This ideology intentionally deceives parents and guardians regarding trans girl athletes competing alongside their cisgender daughters. Caregivers who have not had the opportunity to seek education around this topic are being misled and manipulated to promote hateful ideology without knowing what empirically based research has uncovered: There is no problem, there is no unfair advantage, and all students deserve access to sports teams that match who they are.

In a world where transgender girls are targeted and mistreated in society at large, sports should be a safe haven and a place of retreat from hatred, bigotry and discrimination. Sports have the ability to improve mental health, physical well-being, and build the self-esteem of young people. Our transgender students experience disproportionately higher rates of attempted suicide (47% of trans girls compared to 31% of cis girls), report higher rates of bullying from students and administrators, and miss more school days compared to their cisgender peers. Engaging in an athletic team can make all the difference in a student’s academic experience.

According to an extensive report by Center for American Progress, “transgender athletes have been competing openly for decades, with multiple state high school athletic associations, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the International Olympic Committee, and several professional and amateur sports leagues allowing transgender athletes to participate in accordance with their gender identity as early as 2004. In that time, women’s – and men’s – sports have continued undeterred. Yet while cisgender athletes remain unharmed when transgender athletes participate, policies such as transgender sports bans do substantial harm to the mental health, well-being, and lives of transgender youth, athletes and nonathletes alike.” Creating a third category where trans athletes are allowed to compete is not only discriminatory (separate but equal has never been equal), it is pointless.

The notion that trans girls have an “unfair” advantage is ignorant at best and defamatory at worst. The physiological differences in the bodies of all students is so diverse that it would be impossible for all students on any sports team to compete against only those who have the exact same physical traits.

Endocrinology expert Dr. Joshua D. Safer has repeatedly found that “a person’s genetic make-up and internal and external reproductive anatomy are not useful indicators of athletic performance.” Yet these are the only factors discussed when talking about trans girls.

As a member of this community and a parent, I urge my fellow parents, guardians and caregivers to seek out credible experts on this topic. Don’t let fear be weaponized against you – especially when it distracts from urgent issues facing our students and schools, like targeted racism and harassment, unhoused students, students experiencing food insecurity, neglect, and the alarming rise in poor mental health.

When it comes to our trans students, just let them play.

Vanessa Delgado (she/her) is the director of community learning at Spectrum Center and has over 15 years of experience working with 2SLGBTQIA+ students.