In the eyes of President Trump and many other Republicans, barring transgender women from women’s sports was a key issue in recent elections, and it will remain a critical one in the upcoming midterms. But despite how big the issue has become politically, the number of trans athletes affected by an outright ban would be relatively very low, considering the millions of girls and women who play sports in the United States.
Addressing Congress in 2024, Charlie Baker, the president of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, said there were fewer than 10 trans athletes competing out of the 510,000 students who played college sports. It’s unclear, however, how many trans girls and women are playing sports at the K-12 level, or in recreational programs across the county. The number of trans women participating in competitive sports after college is also unknown.
The people who support barring trans girls from girls’ sports say the debate affects a lot more people than only individual transgender athletes. It’s also about many others who feel the effects of having that person on a team, they say.
A trans woman could displace a teammate for a spot in a competition final, a starting lineup or on an All-American team; she could take a scholarship that could be worth thousands of dollars of savings for a family, they say.
In testimony to Congress in 2023, Paula Scanlan, a former swimmer at the University of Pennsylvania, talked about the negative impacts of having Lia Thomas, a trans women who became an N.C.A.A. champion, as a teammate.
“I know women who have lost roster spots and spots on the podium,” Ms. Scanlan said. “I know of women with sexual trauma who are adversely impacted by having biological males in their locker room without their consent. I know this because I am one of these women.”
One swimmer who lost to Ms. Thomas was supportive of her. That competitor, the Olympic silver medalist Brooke Forde, finished fourth behind Ms. Thomas in the 500 meters at the 2022 N.C.A.A. championships.
In a statement before the competition read by the sportswriter Pat Forde, Ms. Forde’s father, on his podcast, she said she had no problem racing against Ms. Thomas because “I believe that treating people with respect and dignity is more important than any trophy or record will ever be.”
Juliet Macur is a national reporter at The Times, based in Washington, D.C., who often writes about America through the lens of sports.
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