Trans Inclusion in School Sports Doesn't Hurt Cisgender Girls, New Report Finds
The report comes at a crucial turning point for trans athletics in schools, which is currently under attack in 11 state legislatures.
By James Factora
In the midst of an all-out attack on trans participation in sports, a new report has outlined the crucial importance of allowing trans youth equal participation alongside their cisgender peers.
A 41-page report released by the Center for American Progress (CAP) on Monday argues that banning the trans community from sports deprives an already vulnerable group of the overall health benefits of athletics, which include lower risks of anxiety, depression, and suicide attempts, as well as decreased rates of tobacco and drug use. The report also finds that trans-inclusive sports policies don't harm cisgender youth, contrary to the rhetoric that is deployed by politicians who have introduced legislation targeting transgender kids in more than 20 states, such as Montana and South Dakota.
"These bills cloak transmisogyny in inflammatory language and scare tactics that distract from the policies' discriminatory intent," the report reads. "Notably, many do not lay out restrictions for transgender boys and men, focusing solely on regulating women's bodies."
Although these bills purport to "save women's sports," CAP finds that these proposals have proven detrimental to that cause. In states that force trans students to compete in school athletics in accordance with their "biological sex," participation among cis female athletes actually decreased from 2011-2019. Conversely, the report found that some evidence suggests that trans-inclusive policies may increase overall girls' sports participation: Since California established legal protections for trans students in 2014, participation in girls' sports hit an all-time high in 2020.
The report observed similar trends in Connecticut, which has been the site of lawsuits seeking to prevent two transgender runners, Terry Miller and Andraya Yearwood, from competing in women's track and field. The state is one of 17 that allows trans students to participate in school athletics consistent with their gender identity.
A series of testimonials from trans athletes provided further insight into the numerous benefits of trans inclusion, both for transgender and cis athletes. JayCee, a trans woman and powerlifter, said she organized a protest with her teammates after she was told that she would not be able to participate in a state powerlifting condition because she is transgender. According to JayCee, cisgender allies on the team wore t-shirts saying 'Trans Lifters Belong Here. Share the Platform" while taking a moment of silence during a competition.
"What scrutiny and inhumane hoops are you going to put the trans community through to access something that is rightfully everyone's?" JayCee added. "Trans people belong in sport, and anything less than full access is unjust and degrading."
The report also found plentiful benefits of participation in sports for transgender youth, including increased feelings of safety, improved self-esteem, higher grades, and a lower likelihood of experiencing discrimination. The mere existence of trans-inclusive policies may even have benefits for trans youth who do not participate in sports. CAP found that trans students in states with either fully inclusive or semi-inclusive sports policies were significantly less likely to have considered taking their own lives in the past year as compared to trans students living in states with no such guidance.
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Lex, a queer nonbinary transmasculine college squash player, said that being able to switch from playing on the women's squash team to competing with men was "the best decision and the best experience of my life." "I could not be happier," Lex told CAP. "If I hadn't switched teams, I don't think I'd be where I am today — I certainly would not be the optimistic human that I am, who is filled with life and passion and joy."
Accordingly, the report concludes that state legislatures should proactively pass explicitly trans-inclusive policies. It claims they would "not only offer transgender youth access to school belonging, community connectedness, and self-esteem" but would have "the potential to save transgender youths' lives."
Other recommendations include mandating trans inclusivity training for athletic staff, ensuring nonbinary inclusion in team sports, and making sure that students' proper names and pronouns are used on rosters. One way that states can ensure equal access in school athletics, CAP notes, is through the passage of the Equality Act and the Safe Schools Improvement Act, both of which explicitly prohibit discrimination and harassment on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation.
Despite President Joe Biden's pledge to sign nationwide LGBTQ+ nondiscrimination protections into law during his first 100 days in office, neither of those bills have yet passed. While the Democratic-controlled Congress works toward that goal, he signed an executive order hours after his inauguration committing to furthering equal access for trans youth in all federally-funded educational environments.
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