By Skyler Brown
Laurel Hubbard’s participation in these upcoming games will make her the first transgender Olympian in history. She became eligible for competition following the rule change in 2015 made by the International Olympics Committee (IOC). Hubbard was nominated by New Zealand Olympic Committee after placing 15th in the world for her performance in the 87-kilogram (192 pounds) weightlifting category. Having come out in 2013, the 43-year-old was granted IOC backing due to her meeting requirements for the female category.
Unfortunately, her participation has not been without controversy, both in regard to what some believe is the disadvantage allowing trans women to compete creates for cisgender women in sport, as well as the inherent issues in how the IOC qualifies what a woman in sports must be. As reported by CNN, Hubbard’s inclusion in the upcoming games “has generated a fierce debate on gender, sexism and sport.” According to the specifications set by the 2015 ruling, trans women must have been out for at least four years and be able to prove that their testosterone levels remained below 10 nanomoles per liter (nmol/L) for at least a year in order to qualify. Meanwhile, a transgender man would have no set restrictions to compete. Previous rules known as the Stockholm Consensus required transgender individuals to undergo sufficient hormone therapy and surgery to fit their gender expression, including the removal of their ovaries or testes, among other things.
Some argue that these regulations that Hubbard’s – and other trans women’s – participation in sports are still unfair to cisgender women. The argument is that trans women who transition after going through male puberty will still benefit from increased muscle and bone density even if they fall under the threshold set for testosterone level. The reality, however, is less clear. Very few studies have actually been conducted on the effect that transitioning has on athletes, especially when they participate on the elite level. A study conducted by Joanna Harper, a marathon runner who has competed as a trans woman for the past 17 years, was one of the first studies on transgender women in sport, and it was only done in 2015. It found that of the eight non-professional trans women runners had “significantly slower races after transitioning” and performed at “approximately the same level against their female peers as they had against their male peers prior to their transition” (CNN). It is also important to highlight that even though the Olympics and Paralympics have been open to trans athletes since 2004, Hubbard is the first to qualify. Of the 54,000 Olympians and Paralympians who have competed in the span of 17 years, only one has been transgender.
On the other hand, some say that the restrictions set by the IOC when it comes to testosterone levels has also policed the bodies of cisgender women, primarily women of color. Five women in particular have been banned from the upcoming Tokyo Olympics due to naturally higher testosterone levels. World Athletics (the international trand and field association) regulates cisgender women’s natural testosterone levels, too, in order to maintain “fair competition.” Those who have testosterone levels exceeding 5 nmol/L cannot compete in several events unless they take medication to reduce their testosterone levels. It is because of this that Namibian sprinters Beatrice Masilingi and Christine Mboma, Francine Niyonsaba of Burundi, and Margaret Wambui of Kenya are prohibited from participating in Tokyo. Even two-time Olympian Caster Semenya of South Africa is banned from competing. It leaves activists such as Zoé Samudzi begging the question, “At what point does a naturally occurring biological phenomenon become an ‘unfair advantage,’ rather is it a matter of ‘for whom’?”
So while, yes, milestones are being reached for transgender participation in sports, there is much more that needs to be done. Rights activists argue that these fights especially need to be addressed on a non-elite/professional level. Biases and systemic forms of oppression must be replaced. As of June 22nd this year, 25 states have introduced bills seeking to limit or outright ban trans girls and women from participating in sports on teams that align with their identities in the past legislative year. Eight states have completely forbidden them from taking part in girls’ and women’s sports teams in public secondary schools and colleges. Representation such as the Olympics is important. With more than half of transgender and nonbinary teens and adults worried to participate in sports due to their identities, the choices of the IOC and state legislature have the potential to further alienate a group that already suffers from higher rates of suicidal ideation. As Jamie Veale, President of the Professional Association for Transgender Health Aotearoa, states: “It feels like this is a dream of these young people that we can either nurture or we can shatter” (CNN).