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This Biden proposal makes sense. Young boys in the early primary grades don't have a major physiological advantage over girls. Around fourth grade girls are bigger on average. But with puberty the male physical advantage grows significantly.
We are good friends with the reigning women's US cyclocross champion. Cyclocross is bike riding on an obstacle course. There is a trans rider who competes against her. The trans athlete is about 25 and transitioned at age 18. That means that rider has the stature and musculature of an 18 year-old male. In fact, the trans rider previously competed professionally as a male before transitioning.
In the recent US championship the trans rider bolted out to a quick start (thanks to testosterone-built muscles). The trans athlete does not have the technical riding skills of our friend and was forced to walk a narrow banked curve blocking all the other riders including our friend.
Women generally don't have the overall raw power of men, so women athletes tend to rely more on finesse than speed or strength. Cyclocross requires a lot of skill.
Our friend repeated as US champion and the trans rider placed which denied a biological woman her place on the podium and prize money and sponsorships that go with it.
It's not about some view of transgender equality, it's about fairness and sometimes safety. There are after all scholarships and other rewards on the line as kids get into their teenage years. The Biden proposal gets it right.
(NY Times)The Biden administration proposed a rule change on Thursday that would forbid schools from enacting outright bans on transgender athletes from teams that are consistent with their gender identities, but offered flexibility for “fairness” and other exceptions that are likely to apply at the highest levels of competition.
Weighing in on the highly charged debate about transgender athletes and school sports, the Biden administration’s proposal would make “categorically” banning all transgender students from teams that are consistent with their gender identities a violation of Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination at educational institutions that receive federal funding.
But it would also allow K-12 schools and universities to limit the participation of transgender students when including them could undermine “fairness in competition” or potentially lead to sports-related injuries.
Under the proposed rules, elementary school students would generally be able to participate on school teams consistent with their gender identities. But for older students, questions of fairness and physicality could come into play.
