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Dear Editor:
Remember when girls were excluded from boys activities via the sign on the wooden club house door, “No Girls Allowed”? Acclaimed transgenders girls want to cross the line into girls and women’s sports.
Currently in the Indiana House there is House Bill 1041 that is supporting sports for girls and women and excluding male-born transgender girls from participating in girls sports.
One protester against this bill, a 22-year-old transgender woman from Martinsville, Ind., called the bill “unfair” and said it “ruins the whole spirit of sport.” She also said that, “There is no epidemic of trans girls dominating girls sports. It’s a made up, non-problem just to attack us.”
The author of HB 1041, Rep. Michelle Davis, said, “It’s preserving fairness in girls’ sports competitions.”
As early as 2016, male-born transgender girls have participated in girls high school and collegiate sports, including hurdles, sprinting, wrestling, cycling and weightlifting that have shattered women’s sports records. These female athletes have lost out on scholarships and local, state and national championships due to transgender girls participating in the female sports arena.
In 1972, Congress passed the Title IX Law supporting girls and women in sports. This law really changed the sports arena with the allowance and recognition of girls getting involved in sports. From elementary schools through high school to collegiate teams on to professional women’s sports, the equity grew and flourished. Just look at the sports pages in the Reporter.
In 2011, the University of California, Los Angeles law school’s Williams Institute conducted research on sexual orientation and gender identity and reported there were approximately 700,000 Americans identifying as transgender. More than likely the numbers of transgenders have grown.
With these facts in mind, it is only fair for the transgender athletes of both genders to create their own teams and leagues.
Mari Briggs
Sheridan
How many sets of teams would schools need? New York City presently recognizes over 30 different genders identities ( or whatever the latest PC term is for genders). Is it reasonable to expect taxpayers to fund that many teams for each sport?
Maybe the solution is to eliminate “boys” and “girls” teams altogether. Just have one team and let whoever or whatever you are try out for it. No quotas or set-asides for any gender or identity.
Seperate the transgender players into all trans teams and may the best team win. If there aren’t enough trans to form a team, that’s just too bad.
Yes, Transgender’s need their own teams. It’s only fair.
Transgender people should be playing against each other. If this was really about fairness and equity
That is what the conversation would and should be.