Get the Facts: Trans Inclusion in Sports

Sports teach us teamwork, resilience, and the value of inclusion. Trans athletes play sports for the same reasons as anyone else: the love of the game, the drive to compete, and the camaraderie of their teams. Their participation enriches sports and sends a powerful message of inclusion to future generations.

Efforts to exclude trans athletes isn’t about fairness—it’s about fear and division. These campaigns use misinformation to stoke distrust, but when people learn the facts, they support inclusion.

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Trans Athletes Have Been Participating in Sports for Decades

Trans inclusion in sports isn’t new—it’s been guided by thoughtful, evidence-based policies for decades. What’s changed is the rise of a well-funded political campaign using trans athletes as a wedge issue to stoke division and fear.

What You Should Know:

• Inclusion reflects the true spirit of sports: unity, opportunity, and celebrating human potential. Sports thrive on diversity and breaking barriers. Trans athletes bring new stories of perseverance, determination, and triumph, embodying what sports are truly about.
• Trans-inclusive policies have long existed. Organizations like the NCAA and International Olympic Committee have used science-based guidelines, developed with medical experts, to ensure fairness and opportunity for over a decade.
• Historical examples, like Renee Richards, highlight the long-standing presence of trans athletes. In the 1970s, Richards competed as an openly trans woman in professional tennis, paving the way for greater inclusion.
• The current “debate” over trans inclusion is rooted in misinformation. The current “debate” over trans inclusion in sports is fueled by misinformation, not genuine concern for fairness or safety. Opponents use fear and falsehoods to portray trans athletes as threats. This rhetoric perpetuates harmful stereotypes, painting women as weak and undermining decades of progress in gender equity.

Fairness Is at the Heart of Sports

Fairness means giving everyone the opportunity to compete under clear, evidence-based rules. Policies already exist to create a level playing field, and trans athletes follow these rules like any other competitor.

What You Should Know:

• Claims that trans athletes have an unfair advantage lack credible scientific evidence. Research shows that trans people perform similarly to their cisgender counterparts, and available information does NOT indicate that trans athletes have inert athletic advantage. To put it plainly: the myth that trans women dominate sports is a fabricated lie rooted in misogyny, not science.
• Policies already ensure fairness. From school leagues to international competitions, many governing bodies have established rigorous, science-based guidelines to promote equity and inclusion in sports.
• Trans athletes challenge outdated assumptions about gender and performance. Our traditional understanding of gender and athletic ability is evolving. Research shows significant variability among all athletes—cis and trans alike. In fact, the notion that women athletes are inherently inferior to men is both scientifically unfounded and rooted in sexism.

Gender Is Not a Simple Binary, and Athletic Success Is Complex

Athletic performance is shaped by more than biology—training, determination, and teamwork all play vital roles. Our understanding of sex and gender has evolved, and so must our approach to inclusion in sports.

What You Should Know:

• Science shows that sex and gender are not simple binaries. Variations in hormones, chromosomes, and physiology highlight the diversity of human biology.
• History shows that gender boundaries in sports are fluid. In 1992, the Toronto Maple Leafs signed goaltender Manon Rhéaume, the first woman to play in the NHL. Her success demonstrated that skill and talent transcend traditional gender roles.
• Research shows that the performance of male and female athletes is more comparable than traditionally assumed. In fact, women excel in many areas of sport just as much as men do, and in some cases, outperform them. For example, Fiona Kolbinger won the 2019 Transcontinental Race—a grueling cross-continental cycling event—beating all competitors, male and female, by a wide margin.

Inclusion Strengthens Sports for Everyone

Throughout history, sports have been a battleground for overcoming discrimination—whether based on race, gender, or ability—and trans athletes are now continuing that legacy. True fairness in sports means ensuring every individual has the opportunity to compete on a level playing field, regardless of their identity or background.

What You Should Know:

• Trans athletes represent a tiny fraction of competitors, and their inclusion has not negatively affected women’s sports. The idea that trans athletes pose a threat is rooted in misinformation, not evidence.
• The real challenges facing women’s sports are systemic. Pay inequities, underfunding, sexual harassment, and barriers like racism are well-documented and deserve attention. Focusing on trans athletes shifts focus away from these real issues.
• Inclusive policies strengthen sports. States like Minnesota and California, which have trans-inclusive policies, show that inclusion doesn’t harm girl’s sports. In fact, participation in girls’s sports has increased in these states.

Privacy and Safety Go Hand in Hand

All athletes deserve to feel safe and supported, both on and off the field. Policies already exist to ensure safety in competition while respecting the dignity of every player. Unfortunately, many anti-trans sports bills propose invasive measures—such as genital exams for players, including children—violating all athlete’s privacy and basic human rights.

What You Should Know:

• Safety in sports is a priority for everyone. Existing policies already ensure that competition is safe for all athletes, without the need for additional, harmful regulations.
• Safety concerns about trans athletes are rooted in stereotypes. Claims that trans athletes threaten fairness or make women less safe are based on misinformation, not credible evidence.
• Fear-mongering harms all women. The so-called “safety concerns” around trans inclusion in sports often perpetuate harmful stereotypes that portray women as fragile and in need of protection, distracting from the real issues facing women’s sports, such as pay inequities and racism.