Introduction
Sporting activities and events remain a clear embodiment of collective identities and culture. From esports to globalization, emerging trends create new experiences and opportunities for athletes and fans worldwide. However, the participation rate of women in sports remains slower than that of male athletes. This gender gap is caused by socio-cultural factors and physiological and biological differences that impact performance. Allowing transgender men to compete in women’s sports heightens the existing problem.
Despite hormone therapy and the suppression of testosterone levels on strength and muscle mass in transmen, they still have an athletic advantage over female players. Fair competition, equality, and integrity are the building blocks of all sports. Bending the rules to favor a specific group compromises the structures and systems put in place for a level playing field. Athletes should compete in sports that align with their gender to ensure fair play and maintain the spirit of sportsmanship.
Physiological and Biological Difference
Men have a competitive edge in sports in terms of speed and strength. The psychological and biological differences between men and women are reflected in their performance in matches and games. For one, men’s large body size is directly related to high oxygen-carrying capacity, allowing them to reach maximum training peak compared to female athletes (Diaz-Canestro et al., 2022; Trinschek et al., 2020). Men’s bone structure also gives them greater leverage in balance and support. Their high muscle mass to body weight ratio allows them to perform at incredible speed and strength.
Sports demand endurance, which depends on how a player’s body can efficiently convert calories into energy, which men have an advantage over biologically. According to Ainsworth et al. (2022), female athletes are more fragile, which gives them less advantage in games demanding extensive workout and fitness programs. The muscular, endocrine, nervous, and other biological systems influence a person’s adaptability to exercise and performance. These differences give male players an athletic edge over equally trained and gifted female players.
Upholding Fairness and Integrity
Recognizing the difference between men’s and women’s strengths and weaknesses is necessary to preserve the integrity of sports. Pigozzi et al. (2022) asserted that the premise of sportsmanship is integrity and the absence of advantage. Without these principles, sporting events and activities become unsustainable and at the cost of social cohesion. However, the increasing complexity of contemporary sports poses a greater risk to its integrity.
Participation of transgender men in female sports provides a risk to fair play and the integrity of sports (Sharrow, 2021). The continuous scrutiny and controversy over the issue leave contemporary sports under threat. Sports organizations are obligated to have good sportsmanship, including ensuring athletes are confident that they are part of a fair environment without fear of compromising their values. When transgender males are allowed to compete in female games, it breaks the existing system with defined rules and values dictating fair play and competition.
Sports Specificity
Male and female sports have unique characteristics, demands, and rules. If transgender men were to compete with women, it would be an unfair advantage since the winner would be decided before the game or match begins. Sports specificity implies incorporating specific training movements to improve athletic skills. The goals and goals of female and male training programs vary significantly, as evidenced by their biological and physiological differences (Diaz-Canestro et al., 2022; Trinschek et al., 2020).
Consequently, training transgender men and female athletes using the same program would fail to fully tap into their unique needs, including endurance, strength, and speed. Despite the significant strides to boost training sessions of female athletes, women’s sports are yet to make a leap similar to men’s. In addition, the performance gap between men and women is vast, and the participation of transgender men in women’s sports will exacerbate the situation. Top female athletes in various sports, from volleyball to high-intensity games like rugby, still come second to their male counterparts (Badau et al., 2022). Over time, the performance gap may reduce but may be unlikely to disappear completely, putting women at a disadvantage when competing against transgender men.
Socio-Cultural Factors
Cultural attitudes prevail in the broader sports landscape, within which patterns of participation map onto societal ideals. Hayday and Collison (2020) established that gender and religion significantly impact participation in sports in some cultures. Sporting events were developed to train female and male athletes in socially acceptable gender behaviors. For this reason, contemporary sporting activities, including training and physical culture, are based on the social construct of gender differences. Competing in gender-differentiated ways maintains the originally developed structures that ensured a difference in men’s and women’s sports.
Overlooking these patterns and validating the participation of men in women’s sports disrupts these structures. This would further disregard the symbolic space for celebrating women’s accomplishments and embodying the sporting spirit. Moreover, the abilities of male athletes, including transgender men, lend ideological support that they are more competitive than women (Ainsworth et al., 2022). Like other institutions, sports require players and fans to follow written and unwritten rules to create a level playing field. Bending the rules to give a particular group an advantage implies that anyone can choose and change their participation in sports while disregarding established values.
Policy Changes
While the gap in male and female games remains, the continued focus on creating more opportunities for female players has helped achieve gender equality in sports. Society has adopted a supportive attitude toward female athletes. Policymakers are increasingly using sports to engage with gender issues. Notably, there has been a shift from championing gender equality in sports to using games and matches to advance gender equity (Pape, 2020; Sharrow, 2021). Women’s sports were developed to allow female athletes access a safe social space for exercising control. The shift to allowing transgender men to participate in women’s sports would demand a reevaluation of existing policies that ensure fair competition and maintain integrity. However, using policies to challenge and transform gender norms in sports assigns privilege to a specific group over the other.
Conclusion
Sports remain a central part of contemporary society, reflecting its traditions, values, and beliefs. In addition to promoting physical and mental well-being, sports serve as entertainment. Globalization has further transformed the sports landscape with the growing emphasis on diversity and inclusivity. More specifically, the increased inclusivity has profoundly impacted sporting traditions. This shift is reflected in the composition of contemporary teams based on ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation.
Women, people living with disabilities, and those from minority groups have equal opportunities to compete. However, efforts toward embracing the participation of transgender men in female sports remain controversial. Sports strengthen social cohesion, and maintaining sports traditions is essential to promoting fair competition, integrity, and the credibility of matches. Participation of transgender men in women’s games challenges the founding principles of sports.
References
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