Transgender Athletes in Sports Competitions: How Policy Measures Can Be More Inclusive and Fairer to All

Reynolds, Allie; Jahromi, Alireza Hamidian

doi:10.3389/fspor.2021.704178

Cited by 11 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“… 16 One study demonstrated TM are significantly more likely to participate in team sports than TW. 17 , 18 TW have attributed the primary barrier to participation as the absence of an inclusive, comfortable environment. 17 Overt transgender negativity has been documented in sport predominantly through verbal assault and disparagement.…”

Section: Participation In Sport and Psychosocial Barriersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“… 17 , 18 TW have attributed the primary barrier to participation as the absence of an inclusive, comfortable environment. 17 Overt transgender negativity has been documented in sport predominantly through verbal assault and disparagement. 16 Most commonly, this discrimination comes from fellow participants rather than coaches or spectators.…”

Section: Participation In Sport and Psychosocial Barriersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…TW who have not had bottom surgeries may be required to use the “tucking” technique to hide the penis and testicles. 17 Moreover, TM athletes may bind their chests and TW athletes add padding to bras. 17 This can contribute to both discomfort and hinder athletic performace.…”

Section: Participation In Sport and Psychosocial Barriersmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Sports Medicine Considerations When Caring for the Transgender Athlete

McGovern

Lowenstein

Matzkin

2023

Arthroscopy, Sports Medicine, and Rehabilitation

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Section: Participation In Sport and Psychosocial Barriersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Participation In Sport and Psychosocial Barriersmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Sports Medicine Considerations When Caring for the Transgender Athlete

McGovern

Lowenstein

Matzkin

2023

Arthroscopy, Sports Medicine, and Rehabilitation

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“…However, some studies have reported significant progress in the inclusion of transgender people in sporting activities [ 6 ]. These studies have played a substantial role in bringing to light and addressing the difficulties faced by transgender people, especially considering that participation in sports is an essential aspect of their daily lives [ 7 ]. Discrimination of sexual minorities in society can be linked to social inclusion in sports arenas, which has been a major topic of policy involvement and academic concern [ 8 – 10 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Societal discrimination and mental health among transgender athletes: a systematic review and Meta-analysis

Chan,

Choong,

Phang

et al. 2024

BMC Psychol

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Background Discrimination and inequality have been identified as significant problems faced by transgender individuals in sports participation. However, uncertainties remain regarding the effectiveness of interventions aimed at promoting equality. Objectives This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to examine the experiences of transgender athletes in sports, focusing on mental health issues and factors contributing to inequality among transgender and other sexual minorities. Methods The study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and searched 10 electronic databases, including PubMed, Google Scholar, and Web of Science, to identify eligible studies published between 2005 and 2022. The search yielded 1430 articles, of which only 12 studies met the inclusion criteria for this review. Results The meta-analysis of the 12 studies included in this review revealed that transgender athletes faced social discrimination and inequality in sports participation, resulting in mental health problems and higher rates of suicide. From a cohort of 21,565 participants in the studies, 7152 (33%) were subjected to discrimination in sports participation and healthcare, with a rate of 0.61 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.35, 0.81). However, transgender athletes who felt welcomed and embraced by their respective teams accounted for 0.39 (95% CI: 0.19, 0.65). These results indicated significant differences between how transgender athletes are treated in healthcare settings and when participating in sports. Conclusion The study findings underscore the need for policies, cultural research, and interventions to address discrimination and inequality faced by transgender athletes in sports participation. Promoting equality and safeguarding the rights of transgender athletes can mitigate the risk of mental health problems and increase physical activity among sexual minorities.

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“…Recent outstanding performances by a transgender woman (male sex, female gender identity) swimmer have raised controversy about the role of gender-affirming hormone treatments on athletic performance and potential “legacy advantages” associated with male testosterone concentrations and male puberty ( 1 , 2 ). Substantial evidence demonstrates that testosterone is strongly associated with sex-based differences in sports performance, more so than any other known factor ( 3 – 5 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Case Studies in Physiology: Male to female transgender swimmer in college athletics

Senefeld

Hunter

Coleman

et al. 2023

Journal of Applied Physiology

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There is current scientific and legal controversy about sports competition eligibility regulations for transgender athletes. In this case study, we quantified performances by an elite, transgender woman (male sex, female gender identity) college swimmer who competed in both the men's and women's NCAA categories. We also contextualized her performances with respect to contemporary elite college swimmers. These data demonstrate that the declines in freestyle swimming performances of a transgender woman after about two years of feminizing gender affirming hormone treatment (0.5% for the 100 to 7.3% for the 1650-yard distance) are smaller than the observed sex-related differences in performance of top athletes (11.4% for the 100 to 9.3% for the 1650-yard distance). Despite slower performances, the transgender woman swimmer experienced improvements in performance for each freestyle event (100 to 1650 yard) relative to sex-specific NCAA rankings, including producing the best swimming time in the NCAA for the 500-yard distance (65th in the men's category in 2018-19 to 1st in the women's, 2022). Similarly, NCAA-ranked male swimmers did not show large improvements in rank in the men's category during the same time frame. Our findings suggest that the performance times of the transgender woman swimmer in the women's NCAA category were outliers for each event distance, including 100-, 200-, 500-, and 1650-yard freestyle events. Our analysis may be useful as a framework for regulators considering participation guidelines which promote fair competition for all athletes- irrespective of gender identity.

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Transgender Athletes in Sports Competitions: How Policy Measures Can Be More Inclusive and Fairer to All

Cited by 11 publications

References 25 publications

Sports Medicine Considerations When Caring for the Transgender Athlete

Sports Medicine Considerations When Caring for the Transgender Athlete

Societal discrimination and mental health among transgender athletes: a systematic review and Meta-analysis

Case Studies in Physiology: Male to female transgender swimmer in college athletics

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