Paper Sample: Description of How the Issue is Related to Sports, Minorities, and or Discrimination

Introduction

Transgender athletes are the persons that seem to have a gender identity that is different from the one that they were thought to possess at the time of their birth. There exist instances in which a person may be identified as a woman even though they were born with male genitalia. Some of the trending issues since the turn of the new millennium are the occurrence of transgender in sports. It can be regarded as a form of discrimination when they are denied a chance to play in games of their choice for they do not have an influence on their birth status.

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Examples and How the Issue Has Transitioned Over Time

Caster Semenya is one of the transgender athlete in the recent years who have faced calls for the athlete not to be included in games against other female participants. The athlete is said to have the hyperandrogenism condition that led to her body producing high level of testosterone hormone in comparison to other women (Washington Post Staff, 2019). In 2009, she participated in world championships which she women and she was subjected to gender test and her situation may have prompted the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) to introduce the Hyperandrogenism Regulations capping the level of testosterone levels that women athletes are supposed to have in her body. The players with high levels were required to undergo the suppression process. Rachel McKinnon is another athlete that have faced similar predicament to Semenya due to her body composition with people even claiming that she is a cheat (Kearns, 2019). These players have faced many issues when they are participating in their favorite sports over the years. The issue has continually transitioned with time and a long time solution has not been raised on the way to manage the situation, considering that the topic is still debatable.

Where is the issue today The issue is not conclusive, considering that some people are claiming that the transgender should be denied a chance to participate in female games while others are against such statements. According to “Trans Athletes Are Posting Victories and Shaking Up Sports,” some people are raising outrage and claiming that the transgender people competing against cisgender girls and women is wrong. Based on the details raised by the author, a legal compliant is even raised to bar the Trans athletes from competing against the persons that do not match their gender identity, for it is claimed that they have unfair advantage over the other participants (Aschwanden, 2018). There has been an inconsistent mix of rules that have not managed to offer a lasting solution to the issue. There exist instances when the transgender people are allowed to participate after undertaking a treatment program on testosterone suppression lasting for one year. However, the organizations that raise these recommendations do not provide details on the limits to testosterone levels, which leaves the issue of suppression open to discussion. The International Olympic Committee allows women to participate in the games, but they must ensure that the testosterone levels are below 10 Nano moles for every liter in a duration that is not less than 12 months. According to the details highlighted in the article “Olympic advice on transgender athletes due after Tokyo Games,” it is clear that a significant number of people are supporting the inclusion of transgender athletes in games. The IOC is working on establishing measures that will be followed in the future when the transgender are participating in games to ensure that there are safety, inclusivity, and fairness in the sporting world (The Associated Press, 2020). Depriving these people a chance to play is wrong, for they have a right to participate in any game so long as they are acting within the necessary legal guidelines. According to the article, it is critical to find a balance for various transgender athletes have been harassed, and it is important to find a solution to this issue.

Arguments Supporting Against Transgender Athletes

Some people are supporting their inclusion while others feel that they are getting the undue advantage, and they should be given a chance to participate in games. According to Dawson (2019), prominent athletes are against the issue of transgender competing in the women’s games. They are claiming that it is unethical that a cisgender man can plan to be a “woman,” competing in a women’s game, win, and then decide to continue living as a man. One of the significant reasons why they are stating that it is wrong for a cisgender man to compete in a women’s game is because fraud can be committed through the process of gaming the system. A cis man can convince a gender clinician to label them as having gender dysphoria where they will live as a woman for a given duration. They will compete in games during this period, after which they will revert back to their organization’s life. Therefore, to ensure that there is transparency, they should not be allowed to take part in games.

Arguments Supporting For Transgender Athletes

Castillo (2014) states that transgender athletes should be allowed to play games of their choice. Being born as a transgender is not a choice, and preventing these people from competing makes them feel as if they were born in the wrong gender. Some organizations have taken measures that will ensure that these athletes are given a chance to compete in their desired games. The surgical reassignment surgery and duration of hormone therapy are needed to ensure that at least the playing field is leveled for all the competitors. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCCA) has worked toward debunking the notion that the persons born as males will have an advantage over their female counterparts. The organization stated that there have never been previous cases where men have pretended to be women to ensure they get an opportunity to compete against women. Therefore, there is no need to stop the athletes from participating in the games of their desire.

Opinion

I believe that the issue of sport’s transgender athletes requires compromise not conflict despite the topic being complicated. There is no need for parties from either side getting into a conflict as either of them tries to defend their assertions. The rights of transgender people should be respected, and this means that there is a need to find a middle ground that will offer a solution to this debate. They should be allowed to enjoy the competition, and the women that have experienced medical transition be provided with a pathway to eligibility.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the issue of transgender athletes participate in games receives widespread support while there are others that feel that they are gaining an unfair advantage. However, the governing bodies are working on measures that will ensure that there are inclusivity and fairness. It is not known of men that have disguised themselves as women to have an advantage in a given sport. Therefore, they should be allowed to play the games of their choice. However, it has been recommended that they have must their testosterone levels suppressed to below 10 nanomoles for every liter to ensure that everyone is playing in a fairground.

References

Aschwanden, C. (2018). Trans Athletes Are Posting Victories and Shaking Up Sports. Wired. Retrieved from https://www.wired.com/story/the-glorious-victories-of-trans-athletes-are-shaking-up-sports/

Castillo, M. (2014). Why transgender athletes should be allowed to compete as the gender of their choice. The Week. Retrieved from https://theweek.com/articles/449559/why-transgender-athletes-should-allowed-compete-gender-choice

Dawson, A. (2019, April 17). The biggest thing critics continually get wrong about transgender athletes competing in women's sports. Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.com/what-critics-get-wrong-about-transgender-athletes-in-womens-sports-2019-4.

Kearns, M. (2019). Rachel McKinnon Is a Cheat and a Bully. National Review. Retrieved from https://www.nationalreview.com/2019/10/rachel-mckinnon-is-a-cheat-and-a-bully/

The Associated Press. (2020). Olympic advice on transgender athletes due after Tokyo Games. NBC News. Retrieved from https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/olympic-advice-transgender-athletes-due-after-tokyo-games-n1150426

Washington Post Staff. (2019). What are the issues behind the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling in Caster Semenya case? The Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/05/01/what-are-issues-behind-cas-ruling-caster-semenya-case/