A Rhino Ball
This month’s blog topic is courtesy of a long-time reader and even longer time friend (side note I encourage everyone’s input and suggestions for future blog topics). This has been a journey of self-discovery as my first draft led me to conclusions that were unexpected at the outset. I re-wrote this entire first paragraph once I reached the last paragraph of the first draft. This is not an easy topic and even this lengthiest of my blogs will not do full justice to the intricacies involved. I am left to provide my own subjective context and thoughts around the issue(s) – surely as I will try to note there are multiple issues, not just a singular answer on either side of the discussion. (quick side note – this blog is centered on male to female transgender. Sports issues affect all people who do not fit a “standard” definition of the “right” athlete – I will leave that for others or another blog)
While portrayed as a recent scourge on society, this is in fact not new (nor is it a scourge of any type). In the 19070’s I discovered both that an actual term – transgender – existed that spoke to my internal identity struggles and there was surgical means to address those struggles. The tennis player Renee Richards had gender affirming surgery (known as gender reassignment surgery – a rabbit hole discussion for future blogs) in 1975 and subsequently played tennis professionally. Notably while competing at major tournaments including the Olympics, she never won a tournament, and her highest word ranking was 20th. (Side note- she is 90 years old which I primarily note since today is my 67th birthday). An argument against her playing was that men would flock to get the surgery to compete as women. Last I checked the flocking has not occurred. What did happen is her inspiration to myself and I am sure others in the 70s as a positive representative of what was still a little reported and less understood phenomena. She obtained positive encouragement including induction into the WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) Hall of Fame. I cannot ignore that in later years she has indicated misgivings due to the advantage of having had a masculine physique prior to transition and surgery.
Which neatly ties into my own story. On a much lesser scale than Ms. Richards playing at the US Open, ponder my participation in golf charity events. I am a mediocre player at best, Over the years of numerous tournaments, I won once. Okay – in reality I was privileged to play with three excellent golfers. Any advantage I receive from a past gender, XY chromosome (and no testosterone in over 30 years) and a height (almost 6 feet) and other physical factors is not going to factor into a win when I drive from the women’s tees. I have contemplated, especially in recent years, the propriety of winning the women’s longest drive contest. Not that I win it often – I think maybe 3 or 4 times ever. I have always been a reasonably consistent driver and I have recently improved my average drive by 10+ yards including hitting 200 yarders at least once a round. The twist is the increase is not because of who I was 30 years ago but from improvement of body and swing control through more playing time and improved concertation. Will someone feel wronged if I win next time? These are tournaments with low to no stakes and winning anything is not the goal – having a fun time is.
Transgendered youth participating in sports is fraught with underpinning disregard for self-determination, parental and medical insights and ultimately the need of the children (I refer to the rights of parents of transgendered children, not rights of other parents). In pre-puberty, a child realizing and confirming their gender identity different from their birth assigned gender, has an overwhelming difficulty, hurt and pain to navigate due to the ignorance and judgmentalism of others. They do not need further ostracization. They need support and inclusion. Sports can support their growth through inclusion or denigrate their self through exclusion. Once puberty and major body changes occur, medical, physical and psychological paths can open up or for some unfortunately now legally close up. In post puberty – whether in school or adulthood -inclusion should be based on a year of medical and psychological supported transition. As noted above with Ms. Richards – males are not flocking to become women to compete and dominate a sport. The existence of trans-athletes is negligible at best. In those rare cases, they are not dominating the sport. Transitioning is psychologically, physically, mentally, spiritually and every other -ly a difficult, hard-fought and soul-draining path. Someone born as a male does not simply or cavalierly decide they want to be a female to win a trophy. A transgendered participant is not cataclysmic to the sport or other athletes. In almost all cases, teammates and competitors (excluding transphobic idiots – yes, that is redundant) have stated strong moral and humane and supportive attitudes. In the Wikipedia page for Lia Thomas the first (and to date I believe only) openly transgender women to win an NCAA Division 1 National Championship (in swimming): “Brooke Forde, an Olympic silver medalist, said of Thomas that “I believe that treating people with respect and dignity is more important than any trophy or record will ever be””. Projecting here as I do not know Lia, she has battled internal and external hurdles that tear at her being and essence and swimming has been an essential piece of her life that should not be taken away just because she might win. She might win for many reasons – including conditioning, training, and the good fortune of being tall. She might lose (as most athletes lose more often than win) because of a better competitor or perhaps distractions from fighting against ignorance and hatred.
Finally, and I promise briefly, a note about the Olympic boxer Imane Khelif. I (and you and pretty much everyone) have no full insight into her life. It is clear she is not transgender. She was gender assigned as female at birth. Perhaps there is a chromosomal abnormality that she has had to overcome in training and competing as a boxer. She meets all of the Olympic competition rules. Even the boxer who lost and made initial negative comments has since supported Ms. Khelif’s participation and eventual gold medal. This to me is a non-issue. Rules exist and have been met. Ms. Khelif identifies with her assigned birth gender and therefore is not transgendered. Rather than an argument that the transphobic world leans on to keep a transgender person from participating, they should be celebrating that she is competing where “she belongs.” Aww but ignorance and hypocrisy reign supreme.
Activities including sports should aim to be inclusive of all. Rules may define certain guardrails (such as weight classes in boxing and wrestling) and may preclude someone identifying as a woman without any concrete physical and psychological steps such as a full transition and/or surgery. Otherwise, we should leverage sports to be supportive of those who find solace, joy, excitement and maybe just like to swing their golf club to occasionally hit a long drive.
Rhino Ramblings 
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