The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics announced a policy Monday that all but bans transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports at its 241 mostly small colleges across the country.
The NAIA Council of Presidents approved the policy in a 20-0 vote at its annual convention in Kansas City, Missouri. The NAIA, which oversees some 83,000 athletes competing in more than 25 sports, is believed to be the first college sports organization to take such a step.
According to the transgender participation policy, all athletes may participate in NAIA-sponsored male sports but only athletes whose biological sex assigned at birth is female and have not begun hormone therapy will be allowed participate in women’s sports.
A student who has begun hormone therapy may participate in activities such as workouts, practices and team activities, but not in interscholastic competition.
Sports are divided by gender, because it’s easy. It has been done that way for a long time.
But how is a long jump competition between a 1,50m and a 1,90m woman fair?
It’s not.
People who want fairness should see past easy binary characteristics. We are tracking hormone levels, muscle mass, body fat and countless other statistics in professional sports. Why can’t we divide athletes in 3, 4, or more different groups?