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Transgender people in sports - Wikipedia

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The participation of transgender people in competitive sports, a traditionally sex-segregated institution,[1] is a controversial issue, particularly the inclusion of transgender women and girls in women’s sports.

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In 2017, Ezra* was a high school senior and the co-captain of his cross country team in Maryland. It was only his second year competing on the boys team, having moved over from the girls team at the beginning of his junior season. He had been a star runner on the girls varsity team his freshman year, skipping junior varsity completely, and began coming out to his friends and teammates as transgender before his sophomore season. It was then that he faced a choice: which team he would compete with for his sophomore year.

His school was accepting and he faced no institutional barriers to competing on the team that aligned with his gender thanks to living in one of the 16 states deemed "friendly" for trans athletes by TransAthlete.com, nor would he be starting testosterone for at least another year. During his freshman season, his team had suffered a devastating loss in the state championship race - so devastating, in fact, that one of his teammates broke the second place trophy in half. Ezra was seeded to be the top runner on the girls' team his sophomore year and knew they could not win without him. The team was like his family, and he ultimately made the decision to run with them.

"It was challenging," says Ezra, now 21 and a student at an Ivy League college. "I had just asked my entire school and my entire community to view me as male, to use he/him pronouns, to call me Ezra. I wanted there to be no residual perception of me as a woman. And then we would have sports assemblies and they'd call up women's cross country, and I would have to march up there."

Junior year, there was no question: before the season began, Ezra started testosterone and had top surgery. Joining the boys team meant leaving the girls who had been his biggest support system behind. The first time he'd ever heard someone use his chosen name was while he was running up a hill during a girls' race, when someone cheered, "Go, Ezra!" He'd ridden the bus to all his meets with them.

"It definitely did feel like I'd given something up," he says now of the decision to switch to the boys' team. "And it was entirely worth it to me. I tried to frame it as a competitive opportunity to try to get back up there [and improve my times]."

By his senior year, Ezra was co-captain of the boys' team and the underclassmen looked up to him. In retrospect, he looks back at the decision to switch teams as not only one of the most consequential moments in his athletic career, but as a culmination of sorts in the evolution of his identity.

"My experience as a trans person has been living with a lot of conflict constantly - conflict between how I see myself and how my body looks, conflict between how other people see me and who I know myself to be. Not being able to run on the men's team takes that conflict and it puts it in the forefront of my mind, and it puts it in the forefront of everyone else's mind. And that might be the absolute worst thing that you can do to a high schooler, whether it's gender-related conflict or, or any other type of core, internal conflict," Ezra says.

"So it was very important to me to finally have that alignment. And I think because [joining the boys' team] was more or less the last thing I did to complete that alignment, it was very salient to me, wanting to sort of finish the puzzle of how you ought to be seen."

There are probably hundreds of student-athletes like Ezra around the country, though we don't hear about the lion's share of them. Lost in the debates about biology and physiology and competitive advantages that surround trans kids in sports are the stories of the ones who are out there already - playing, winning, losing, thriving. And among the already small number of stories about trans athletes, the trans boys on the field are perhaps the most sparsely represented.

"It's a very symbolic thing to not only be seen as masculine in a classroom or masculine walking down the street, but to be seen as something that is often thought of as the pinnacle of masculinity - to be able to out-lift another guy, to be able to flip someone, to beat someone in a race," says Ezra. "Those are also things that tend to be misconceptions about trans people, wanting to not be seen as certain stereotypes of being trans and not wanting people to think that just because I was trans meant that I couldn't keep up."

When the coverage of trans kids who play sports focuses exclusively on the competitive aspect of the game, so much other context gets missed. Nearly 60% of kids participate in a sport at some point in their lives, and to deny trans kids the opportunity to do so is to deny them a formative experience that so many of their peers get to have. Competition is not the only reason kids play sports; other well-documented benefits include improved grade-point average, better focus, mental and physical health benefits, and a host of social and psychological rewards.

For trans kids, however, sports can do other things, too. They can give them a way to feel proud of their body, even before they have the words to articulate their gender. It also allows them to feel embodied, surrounding them with a team of people who accept and support them. With the rate of suicidality for trans youth being as high as 40% and research showing that providing gender-affirming care can reduce those feelings, it stands to reason that affirming trans kids in all areas of their lives will have positive effects on their mental health.

"A crucial part of identity development in any human is to be seen and reflected back. That sense of identity is what is going to carry people through most of the rest of their lives and protect them to some degree from traumas and experiences that can create other serious mental health problems," says Ruben Hopwood, founder and director of Hopwood Counseling & Consulting in Cambridge, Massachusetts. "The harm that's done then in sports [is that] if they aren't being affirmed, they aren't being reflected back as who they know themselves to be, and people are actively saying 'not only do I not see you, but I refuse to believe that what you say is true.'"

Unfortunately, this isn't what we tend to talk about when we talk about trans athletes. The reality is that we only hear about trans athletes when they're winning - girls like Andraya Yearwood and Terry Miller in Connecticut; Mack Beggs in Texas, whose story was thrust into the national spotlight when Texas forced him to wrestle against girls even after he started taking testosterone.

"That's why everyone is assuming that there is some kind of domination of trans athletes and sports, because those are the only times we ever hear about them," says Alex Schmider, Associate Director of Transgender Representation at GLAAD and Executive Producer of Changing the Game, a documentary about high school trans athletes that features Yearwood, Miller and Beggs. "That means there's like 90% of a narrative that isn't being covered. That lack of media representation is really establishing a false framework about what trans inclusion really means."

Trans athletes are most commonly discussed in terms of the potential they have for competitive advantage, a discussion that disportionately impacts trans girls - and, in particular, trans girls of color. This hyperfocus by the media on trans women and girls is an issue both in sports coverage and in mainstream coverage, too. "The problem with trans men is that they've largely been invisible in the media," Nick Adams, Director of Transgender Representation for GLAAD, says in the Netflix documentary Disclosure. "Certainly being invisible is a privilege compared to the type of transphobia that has been written into trans women characters. But I work with a lot of trans boys, and when they look to the screen to see themselves reflected back, they see almost nothing."

For many trans boys, especially those who live in more isolated areas, this invisibility has real impacts. Visibility allows people to see pathways for themselves, to believe that their goals and aspirations are possible. It's why athletes like Schuyler Bailar, the first openly transgender Division I NCAA swimmer, and Chris Mosier, the first openly trans athlete to qualify for Team USA and who competed in the Olympic Trials in January 2020, are so important.

"It's really cool to see representation, kind of like in politics, even if you don't aspire to be them," says John*, a 15-year-old cross-country runner from St. Louis, Missouri. "It's just cool to see that they can, and that it could be possible."

For John and many others like him, competing in the appropriate division is a double-edged sword: trans boys and trans men are not perceived as a threat when it comes to sports, which allows them to be able to slide through the system without as much controversy. At the same time, they can become an afterthought when it comes to advocacy or inclusion.

In the last legislative session, 17 states had 20 bills targeting transgender kids in sport. In 2021, at least six states have already introduced similar bills. "It was heartbreaking to hear how politicians were talking about people who were in the room, as if they were not people," says Mosier, who founded TransAthlete.com, of the testimony being made to lawmakers in Idaho regarding House Bill 500. "Imagine being a young person hearing people talk about your identity as if you do not exist, or as if you are wrong, or you're a monster."

John testified against two anti-trans bills in Missouri last year. His parents pulled him out of school so they could have two minutes to "sit up in front of people and bare our souls and beg them to inform themselves," John's mother, Kelly, says. John socially transitioned at eight years old but has been stealth - meaning his peers, teachers and school administrators do not know he is trans - since middle school. This is not necessarily abnormal; a 2018 report from the Human Rights Campaign found that 82% of teenage transgender athletes were not out to their coaches.

Even though the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) has a policy allowing transmasculine athletes to compete on the boys' team, John's parents didn't want to risk it, especially because of the anti-trans bills introduced in the state in recent years. It is his family's way of protecting him against discimination after the Catholic youth sports league denied him the ability to play on the boys' team when he first transitioned, forcing him to continue to compete with girls if he wanted to remain in their league.

These bills being introduced nationwide largely target transfeminine athletes. They are not intended to ban trans boys for the most part, but because trans boys are often an afterthought when they are drafted, it remains to be seen how things will play out if they are written into law. "All the conversation was about protecting girls in sports," says Kelly. "But here's my son. He's not going to be on your girls' team. What are you gonna do with that?"

One thing this attempt to ban trans kids from competing ignores is that most youth athletes - transgender or cisgender - will never compete at the most elite levels. They are just kids who want to play sports with their friends. That's it. "It is complicated, but at the same time, it's really not at all," says Schmider. "Because when we're talking about middle school, elementary school, even high school athletics, the basic premise should be that kids should be included in participating."

By focusing so much on biology and physiology, the impact is the dehumanization of those kids. You take away their personhood by boiling them down to their body parts and hormones - things that especially don't matter for pre pubescent athletes. And while there is less concern about trans boys competing because they are not perceived as having an advantage in the way trans girls are, the lack of general understanding of transness still means that the cis people who are making or enforcing policies for trans youth only have these stereotypes to go off of.

When Aryn Butherus asked to switch from the girls' basketball team to the boys' during his sophomore year in high school in Wichita, Kansas, he says the administrator told him that trans people didn't belong in sports because they had an unfair advantage. Butherus, who is 5'4" and was not taking testosterone at that time, was absolutely not at an advantage on the basketball court against cisgender boys who had gone through masculinizing puberty. Yet he was still denied the ability to play. Losing the sport that had been his favorite since childhood was "disheartening," he says. "Just because I'm a trans athlete doesn't mean I can't be an athlete."

Trans athletes face tough choices about competing all the time. For athletes who are connected to a sport without a male equivalent, like field hockey or softball, the option to switch to a boys' team doesn't exist. They have to choose between continuing to play the sport they love or living as their authentic self. For others, it can feel like everything they've been training for their entire lives, and the metrics against which they've measured themselves, have been shattered. Someone who has trained to compete with one set of times on a girls' team, for example, has to adjust and work at a disadvantage when measuring themselves against the faster times that come with competing in a field of boys.

But the idea that trans boys cannot compete with cis boys on the field is demonstrably false. Mosier making Team USA means that he is literally one of the best in his category of all the men in the country. And Bailar, who competed against men while swimming for Harvard University, was ranked 443 out of all 2,983 Division I male swimmers - meaning he beat 85% of the men he swam against. "The narrative that we're not capable of [being up there with cis men] at worst excludes trans boys from even stepping into sport," he says. "And at best, makes them doubt themselves. No matter how you look at it, that narrative is toxic."

When people ask Bailar how he plans to beat cis men, "It's very simple," he says. "The answer is, I did."

Being able to compete against other boys can be affirming and formative even before an athlete is ready to come out as trans to the rest of the world. Samuel C. didn't transition until he was 27, but he says his experiences competing on boys' teams as a kid in Michigan helped him feel aligned with his gender even when the world around him didn't see him as a boy. It was a resourceful solution for a kid who didn't feel like he could be safe coming out as trans - under Title IX, girls are allowed to compete on boys' teams if there is no equivalent team for girls, so Samuel sought out sports that didn't have a girls' team at his school: wrestling, football and baseball.

"It built the foundation for me to be able to have male friends and people that I could more easily identify with. Without putting words to it, I guess I was like, 'I'm going to show you who I am rather than have to tell you,'" Samuel says of his time playing on boys' teams before he was out as trans. "I could physically show my strengths, which helped me feel more masculine, it helped me feel right. It was telling myself I can compete with these guys, I can do this, I belong here."

But it's not just about winning and losing, or measuring one's performance with numbers and charts. "Competition always looks like you're trying to beat other people, but when it comes down to it, it's really trying to beat yourself," says Ezra. "That might be especially apparent in cross country, because even though it's a team sport, a lot of it does come down to your individual times."

In Changing the Game, you can see the difference for wrestler Mack Beggs. When he wins the State Championships after beating a girl, he looks dejected. His head hangs while the official raises his arm in victory, the girl who spent a year training to defeat him in the fetal position next to him, screaming in emotional agony. By contrast, at the end of the film, when he comes in third place wrestling against other boys, he's glowing. The difference, of course, is simply that he was able to step onto the mat as his authentic self. "All I ever wanted to do was wrestle men," he says, breaking into a smile. "And now that I am? It's freaking dope."

Perhaps even more important than the visibility of athletes like Bailar and Mosier are the stories of regular kids playing youth sports with their friends. Stories of discrimination, like that of Beggs, are "the only representation that we get right now. So having somebody in a positive way would be so helpful," says Samuel. "For the majority of kids [cis or trans], we're not going to be Schuylers or Chrises, they are so incredibly talented and good at what they do. In reality, that's not going to happen for the majority of kids who just want to play sports. So I think having other trans kids represented in the lower level sports is so important."

It's why Schmider wanted to make Changing the Game. "In media, we see trans young people, particularly trans athletes, [have their] stories hijacked and taken from them to exploit narratives about why they should be excluded or discriminated against," he says. "We made the film so that ... trans young people get to see themselves as the hero they are in their stories, which we rarely get to see."

Right now, trans kids are being used as a political wedge, but most just want the opportunity to play sports in a way that affirms their gender and sense of self, just like any other kid. And they're out there, though we don't often hear from them. Butherus says that attending track meets in Kansas, Oklahoma and Nebraska, he regularly encountered other trans athletes competing on their school's team. "You're going to have to face trans athletes. They're there. We're here. We're not going anywhere," he says. "You can't get rid of us."

One person interviewed for this story currently plays on a team with at least one other trans boy, and after Butherus's difficult experience trying to participate in high school sports after his transition, he says a trans boy two years younger than him was able to play on whichever team he wanted - indicating that Butherus perhaps opened doors for the younger student.

"The success story is not [winning]," says Bailar. "The success story is stepping into the pool, it's diving off the blocks, it's stepping onto the field, and recognizing that you're supposed to be there just like anybody else."

When asked to describe his relationship with his male teammates, the answer comes to Ezra not in words, but in an image. It is from a video his team made for a pep rally his senior year. In it, the team of young men stand on a fallen tree over a river. They all have their shirts off, their arms around each other's shoulders as they do a little dance together in a line. Ezra is there, too, top surgery scars and all, smiling. He is just one of the boys, right where he belongs.

"Sports have a big bearing on confidence. You can see your times, you can feel how much easier it's gotten to run that loop that you did three weeks ago," Ezra says. "And when you tie it into gender, gender dysphoria and the trans experience, [it] can really do a number on your confidence. So when you can throw in something that is a very literal physical reminder that you are capable, that you can be equal, that's a really powerful thing."

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What About the Trans Athletes Who Compete - And Win - in Boys Sports?

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In 2017, Ezra* was a high school senior and the co-captain of his cross country team in Maryland. It was only his second year competing on the boys team, having moved over from the girls team at the beginning of his junior season.

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https://theconversation.com/sexism-and-sport-why-body-baring-team-uniforms-are-bad-for-girls-and-women-165546

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Team outfits and fashion were not supposed to be a big talking point at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. But protests over skimpy uniforms by two women's teams in the months before the games have brought bikinis and high-cut leotards into the spotlight. Now these high-profile campaigns are leaving Olympians, fans and aspiring young athletes wondering: why are women expected to bare their bodies while men cover up?

In April, the German women's gymnastics team ditched the traditional, high-cut leg-baring leotards for ankle-length unitards, protesting the "sexualisation" of their bodies. This dissent was intended to highlight and prevent sexual abuse in the sport, following recent high-profile cases in the US and UK. They continued their protest at the Tokyo Olympics.

In a similar move, the Norwegian women's beach handball team were fined for defying the uniform rules at the European championships in July. In Tokyo, they too continued their protest by wearing fitted shorts. The team claimed bikini bottoms made them feel uncomfortable, made it difficult when managing their periods, and turned young athletes off their sport. For many, the last point is key to understanding the impact of sexist uniform policies.

Uniform rules in sport are designed for an idealised western femininity. These standards fail to understand that girls quit sport over body-baring uniforms, overlook different hair and skin types, ignore curvy and muscular body shapes and wilfully ignore the realities of periods. What these policies suggest is that women's bodies are expected to be perfectly thin, perfectly hairless, able-bodied and period-free.

British runner Jessica Ennis-Hill wrote a heartfelt essay about her fear of exposing herself and how "skimpy kit" can traumatise young athletes. From body shaming to sexualisation, her experience exposes the unseen struggles of girls and women in sport and echoes research on girls in sport.

Overlooked and under-dressed

These campaigns reject sexist norms prevalent in sports and object to women's uniforms being designed for the " male gaze ", leading to women being judged for their aesthetic appeal alongside their athletic talent.

Undoubtedly, these women are taking a brave and laudable stance. Yet their voices carry an influence that women of colour and advocates for athletes in non-western countries are often denied. With much less fanfare and media attention, they have been lobbying for changes to kit for decades, often on behalf of Muslim athletes and/or people of colour.

In table tennis, a rule change for full-length sportswear and head coverings - as opposed to shorts and T-shirts which leave arms and legs bare - was successfully lobbied to increase participation by Muslim athletes. This victory went largely unnoticed in the west, despite the fact that table tennis is a mainstay of the Olympics. Campaigns led by Muslim athletes led to similar rule changes in basketball and judo, where women were finally allowed to wear head coverings and long-sleeved tops underneath, as their faith required.

In contrast, swimming has rejected proposals to adapt uniforms for Muslim and black athletes, including a ban on "burkinis" and prohibiting use of the "soul cap" swim hat designed for natural black hair.

Athletes with disabilities also face different standards, which was made clear recently when a British Paralympian was criticised by an official who called her outfit too "revealing". It was the standard runner's brief worn by most women.

Who makes the rules?

Modern sport was designed for and by white men. Globally, men are still making most of the rules, including those which police girls' and women's bodies. Regulations about uniforms vary by international federation, which is why the Norwegian team faced fines but the Germans did not.

Although the International Olympic Committee (IOC) does not directly control uniform policies, it has advocated fairer rules in its 2018 Gender Equality Review to "ensure competition uniforms reflect the technical requirements of the sport and do not have any unjustifiable differences". This statement raises the question: what is the justifiable reason for requiring women to wear skimpy uniforms while men can cover up?

What does this mean for athletes and young girls with Olympic dreams? Beyond the general sexualisation of women athletes, there are six identifiable consequences that potentially harm girls and women in sport:

1. Girls drop out of sport - adolescent girls feel too uncomfortable because of unflattering/exposing uniforms.

2. Embarrassment - cameras can catch athletes accidentally exposing underwear, body hair and more. Mocking and body shaming on social media poses a real concern.

3. Period panic - fear of leaking menstrual blood or exposing period products in skimpy or white clothing is common.

4. Excluding athletes from non-western cultures - skin-exposing uniforms make it impossible for girls and women from Islamic and other religious communities to compete.

5. Promoting racial prejudice - uniform standards often make assumptions about body types and hair built around white physical stereotypes.

6. Battles over body hair - women and girls are pressured into waxing/shaving bikini lines, legs and any "unfeminine" body hair or risk ridicule and body shaming on social media.

We need more women in leadership

These uniform policies put women under added pressure to conform to western feminine ideals when they should be concentrating on their athleticism. This constricting paradox leaves little room for agency among athletes to challenge traditional, negative conceptions about muscular femininity.

International federations need to adjust technical rules to allow for athletes to choose clothing that suits their performance, personal comfort and cultural preferences. These choices can motivate adolescent girls to remain in sport, support athletes of colour and encourage participation from more conservative cultures.

Recruiting more women from diverse backgrounds to leadership positions in sport is a key step. Broadcasters and marketers should take note - in the same way athletes feel uncomfortable, many women viewers do not enjoy watching sports with objectified bikini-clad players.

Generations of athletes and advocates have struggled to make these changes. More recently, the movement has gathered strength to band together across cultures and sports. The Olympics should be a place for inclusion, cultural exchange and equality. Let's start dressing the part.

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Sexism and sport: why body-baring team uniforms are bad for girls and women

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Team outfits and fashion were not supposed to be a big talking point at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. But protests over skimpy uniforms by two women's teams in the months before the games have brought bikinis and high-cut leotards into the spotlight.

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Who Should Compete in Women’s Sports? There Are ‘Two Almost Irreconcilable Positions’ (Published 2020)

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Some experts say inclusion and competitive fairness conflict as leaders consider how to regulate the athletic participation of transgender women.

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Transgender people in sports - Wikipedia

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The participation of transgender people in competitive sports, a traditionally sex-segregated institution,[1] is a controversial issue, particularly the inclusion of transgender women and girls in women’s sports.

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Is it fair for a grown man that identifies as a woman to compete in collegiate swimming and basically dominate the female field?

That controversial question is being asked all over America, now that an athlete from the otherwise obscure UPenn swim program has single-handedly brought transgender sports participation into the national discussion.

Lia Thomas, formerly known as biological male Will Thomas, just won the 200- and 500-yard freestyle events at the Ivy League women's championship. Thomas crushed the competition and is now competing at the NCAA national championships this week in Georgia.
MICHAEL PHELPS SAYS CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING LIA THOMAS IS 'VERY COMPLICATED,' CALLS FOR LEVEL PLAYING FIELD
This biological male, now identifying as a female, has technically followed all the rules set out by the NCAA and in the process has unmasked a massive problem coming to a head in America.

That being said, for you moms and dads with daughters that compete in any youth sport: How would you feel if a boy or man were allowed to compete with your child, and they lose every game, meet and match as a result? What if your daughter worked hard her entire life, earning a college scholarship, only to have it snatched away by a young man competing in her sport?

Beyond fairness, is the issue of safety and security. Do you want that man in the same locker room as your daughter?

While this issue may seem isolated, it will impact millions of young people over the next few years unless our policies change to address this issue. Politicians and community leaders must use common sense as their guide, not progressive political correctness.

Sports have a positive impact on the lives of young people. My life is no exception. Tagged early as an under-talented junior athlete, I learned the lessons of hard work and perseverance which enabled me to compete in the Olympics at age 30.

Prior to Title IX passing, girls' and women's sports were not highly developed in America. But as NCAA revenue sports grew in the 1980s and 1990s, so did the number of women's scholarships in an effort to comply with the law. That's a great thing. We must continue in this spirit of encouraging young women to participate in athletics.
CYNTHIA MONTELEONE: I'M A TEAM USA WORLD MASTERS TRACK ATHLETE, MON AND COACH CALLING FOR THE PROTECTION OF WOMEN'S SPORTS
Positive results flourished almost immediately once the playing field was leveled and fair: Youth sports flourished in direct response and correlating to NCAA scholarships.

The youth sports system in America has become nearly entirely predicated on these scholarships. The reason for this is simple: parents make decisions for their time and money based on the perceived benefit and return from sports participation. Sports that have the potential for a child to earn a scholarship give parents a reason to invest beyond recreational participation.

Take as an example the sports of Judo and Wrestling. While remarkably similar in athletic requirements, cost, and facility requirements Judo has under 10,000 participants in the U.S. while wrestling boasts around 30 times that. The difference?

College scholarships create demand that causes high schools to participate. High school teams drive interest in club teams, and an ecosystem thrives. Recently, multiple schools introduced women's scholarships for wrestling, and we can expect to see an explosion of girls now participating in the sport. The reverse is also true. Sports like men's gymnastics that lose college scholarships see a near-immediate diminishment in youth participation.

This shows that sports scholarships don't just impact the people who receive them, they have a multiplier effect and increase overall participation in their respective sports. Roughly speaking, while a single athlete gets a scholarship, approximately 100-500 kids participated at some level in the hunt for that scholarship. While those kids didn't earn the college money, they learned teamwork, perseverance, accountability, and discipline in the process.

How would you feel if a boy or man were allowed to compete with your child, and they lose every game, meet and match as a result?

Understanding that scholarships drive our youth sports programs, we can now truly see the danger of the current NCAA policies on transgender athletes. Biological males have inherent and unmitigated advantages in sports over biological females. This is simply a fact of nature. If we deny this reality, the impacts are catastrophic.

Imagine a scenario where biological men are allowed to compete for women's scholarships using their biological advantage in sports. At first, it will impact a few women and then a few hundred. But within 5-10 years, parents may systematically divest their daughters from sports without the incentivization of scholarships.

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The financial and time sacrifice that parents currently make for their daughters will no longer be justified in a world with diminished opportunity for treasured scholarships. Girls will be relegated to technical activities and the arts where their biology is no longer a disadvantage relative to biological males.

Title IX was rightfully put in place to protect women and their opportunities in sports and other areas. If we do not acknowledge the biological difference between males and females and use that as the standard for Title IX compliance, America will regress into a state where sports are just for boys and not for girls. This is the exact opposite direction that our great nation should be taking. We are better than this.

If, as a society, we want our girls to have the same opportunities as the boys, we must defend their rights based on their biology.

Women fought so hard for decades to ensure equality in sports, especially at the collegiate level. Those great gains will be gone almost immediately if men continue to compete and therefore dominate, and ultimately destroy women's sports.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM ELI BREMER

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The future of women's sports is at risk because of transgender athletes

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UPenn transgender swimmer Lia Thomas shows the risk of allowing transgender athletes in women's sports.

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Inside the Right-Wing Movement to Ban Trans Youth From Sports

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A small group of trans student athletes in the U.S. are at the center of a massive political debate.

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Diving into the debate over trans athletes

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The success of UPenn swimmer Lia Thomas, a transgender woman, has reignited a fierce debate: do trans women have an unfair biological advantage in sports? And are competitive fairness and trans inclusivity mutually exclusive?

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The World Swimming Coaches Association (WSCA) is recommending that FINA, a governing body for aquatic sports, create a transgender division to account for men’s biological advantages over women.

“FINA and its aquatic disciplines are also a pillar of the Olympic Movement and give a decisive contribution to the success of the Games,” the body states on its website.

WSCA concludes in its statement, “For the sport of swimming, the inclusion of transgender people on the grounds of fairness cannot co-exist in the current competitive model.”

“Swimming should choose to offer competition in which the female category is protected for reasons of competitive fairness,” the association further states.

The statement was published nearly two months after collegiate swimming was thrust into the national spotlight after transgender athlete Lia Thomas became the first openly trans-athlete to win a national title.

Thomas was eligible to compete as a biological man despite newly adopted standards by USA Swimming in an attempt to level the playing field while balancing inclusivity.

Campus Reform spoke with female athletes in January who echoed similar concerns about physical differences. The athletes all said that despite intense training, they are unable to compete against men because of biological differences.

The WSCA statement addresses such “retained differences” despite the “involvement of testosterone suppression.”

The passage reads:

“[T]he inclusion of transgender people into female sports cannot be balanced with fairness due to the retained differences in strength, stamina and physique that are present when comparing the average female with the average transgender female/non-binary person who was assigned male at birth (whether with or without the involvement of testosterone suppression).”

WCSA is advising one of two options.

One option would name a “female” category and a separate “open” category, while another option would create three categories specified as “female,” “male,” and “open.”

Relatedly, Campus Reform has reported that 17 states have passed legislation requiring athletes to compete based on their biological sex.

Last week, Campus Reform reported that Kansas Governor Laura Kelly vetoed her state’s “Fairness in Women’s Sports Act” and that Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf is threatening to veto his state’s equivalent legislation.

Discussing how Biden’s policies have had a negative effect on the public, Alex Jones called on Republicans to introduce articles of impeachment against the Democrat puppet president in order to save the country.

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This is just embarrassing for Megyn Kelly

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https://theconversation.com/sexism-and-sport-why-body-baring-team-uniforms-are-bad-for-girls-and-women-165546

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Team outfits and fashion were not supposed to be a big talking point at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. But protests over skimpy uniforms by two women's teams in the months before the games have brought bikinis and high-cut leotards into the spotlight. Now these high-profile campaigns are leaving Olympians, fans and aspiring young athletes wondering: why are women expected to bare their bodies while men cover up?

In April, the German women's gymnastics team ditched the traditional, high-cut leg-baring leotards for ankle-length unitards, protesting the "sexualisation" of their bodies. This dissent was intended to highlight and prevent sexual abuse in the sport, following recent high-profile cases in the US and UK. They continued their protest at the Tokyo Olympics.

In a similar move, the Norwegian women's beach handball team were fined for defying the uniform rules at the European championships in July. In Tokyo, they too continued their protest by wearing fitted shorts. The team claimed bikini bottoms made them feel uncomfortable, made it difficult when managing their periods, and turned young athletes off their sport. For many, the last point is key to understanding the impact of sexist uniform policies.

Uniform rules in sport are designed for an idealised western femininity. These standards fail to understand that girls quit sport over body-baring uniforms, overlook different hair and skin types, ignore curvy and muscular body shapes and wilfully ignore the realities of periods. What these policies suggest is that women's bodies are expected to be perfectly thin, perfectly hairless, able-bodied and period-free.

British runner Jessica Ennis-Hill wrote a heartfelt essay about her fear of exposing herself and how "skimpy kit" can traumatise young athletes. From body shaming to sexualisation, her experience exposes the unseen struggles of girls and women in sport and echoes research on girls in sport.

Overlooked and under-dressed

These campaigns reject sexist norms prevalent in sports and object to women's uniforms being designed for the " male gaze ", leading to women being judged for their aesthetic appeal alongside their athletic talent.

Undoubtedly, these women are taking a brave and laudable stance. Yet their voices carry an influence that women of colour and advocates for athletes in non-western countries are often denied. With much less fanfare and media attention, they have been lobbying for changes to kit for decades, often on behalf of Muslim athletes and/or people of colour.

In table tennis, a rule change for full-length sportswear and head coverings - as opposed to shorts and T-shirts which leave arms and legs bare - was successfully lobbied to increase participation by Muslim athletes. This victory went largely unnoticed in the west, despite the fact that table tennis is a mainstay of the Olympics. Campaigns led by Muslim athletes led to similar rule changes in basketball and judo, where women were finally allowed to wear head coverings and long-sleeved tops underneath, as their faith required.

In contrast, swimming has rejected proposals to adapt uniforms for Muslim and black athletes, including a ban on "burkinis" and prohibiting use of the "soul cap" swim hat designed for natural black hair.

Athletes with disabilities also face different standards, which was made clear recently when a British Paralympian was criticised by an official who called her outfit too "revealing". It was the standard runner's brief worn by most women.

Who makes the rules?

Modern sport was designed for and by white men. Globally, men are still making most of the rules, including those which police girls' and women's bodies. Regulations about uniforms vary by international federation, which is why the Norwegian team faced fines but the Germans did not.

Although the International Olympic Committee (IOC) does not directly control uniform policies, it has advocated fairer rules in its 2018 Gender Equality Review to "ensure competition uniforms reflect the technical requirements of the sport and do not have any unjustifiable differences". This statement raises the question: what is the justifiable reason for requiring women to wear skimpy uniforms while men can cover up?

What does this mean for athletes and young girls with Olympic dreams? Beyond the general sexualisation of women athletes, there are six identifiable consequences that potentially harm girls and women in sport:

1. Girls drop out of sport - adolescent girls feel too uncomfortable because of unflattering/exposing uniforms.

2. Embarrassment - cameras can catch athletes accidentally exposing underwear, body hair and more. Mocking and body shaming on social media poses a real concern.

3. Period panic - fear of leaking menstrual blood or exposing period products in skimpy or white clothing is common.

4. Excluding athletes from non-western cultures - skin-exposing uniforms make it impossible for girls and women from Islamic and other religious communities to compete.

5. Promoting racial prejudice - uniform standards often make assumptions about body types and hair built around white physical stereotypes.

6. Battles over body hair - women and girls are pressured into waxing/shaving bikini lines, legs and any "unfeminine" body hair or risk ridicule and body shaming on social media.

We need more women in leadership

These uniform policies put women under added pressure to conform to western feminine ideals when they should be concentrating on their athleticism. This constricting paradox leaves little room for agency among athletes to challenge traditional, negative conceptions about muscular femininity.

International federations need to adjust technical rules to allow for athletes to choose clothing that suits their performance, personal comfort and cultural preferences. These choices can motivate adolescent girls to remain in sport, support athletes of colour and encourage participation from more conservative cultures.

Recruiting more women from diverse backgrounds to leadership positions in sport is a key step. Broadcasters and marketers should take note - in the same way athletes feel uncomfortable, many women viewers do not enjoy watching sports with objectified bikini-clad players.

Generations of athletes and advocates have struggled to make these changes. More recently, the movement has gathered strength to band together across cultures and sports. The Olympics should be a place for inclusion, cultural exchange and equality. Let's start dressing the part.

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Sexism and sport: why body-baring team uniforms are bad for girls and women

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Team outfits and fashion were not supposed to be a big talking point at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. But protests over skimpy uniforms by two women's teams in the months before the games have brought bikinis and high-cut leotards into the spotlight.

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Here is a video I found for Melody and Sukriti

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Here is a video I found for Melody and Sukriti

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May or may not be helpful
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecPx9x1HRDM

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Do Trans Athletes Have an Unfair Advantage? Trans vs Cis Athletes | Middle Ground

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https://19thnews.org/2021/07/dress-code-standards-women-athletes/

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The two-time Paralympic world champion Olivia Breen had just wrapped a long jump competition at the English Championships on Sunday when she was approached by an official who said her competition shorts were "too revealing" and suggested she buy another pair.

"I didn't know what to say," Breen later told Sky News. "I just looked speechless."

A day after this exchange, the European Handball Federation said it would fine Norway's women's beach handball team €1,500, or about $1,760, as a penalty for the players wearing shorts instead of the required bikini bottoms during a match over the weekend.

As athletes gear up for the start of the Tokyo Olympics on Friday and the Paralympics on Aug. 24, a long-running debate has reignited over the dress code standards for women athletes.

This year's games will see a record number of women competing - about 49 percent of all athletes. Yet women athletes, particularly those of color, continue to face enhanced public scrutiny for their looks, from their hairstyles to the cut of their uniforms. This societal pressure is compounded by formal dress code regulations and unofficial uniform traditions that do not serve any athletic purpose, leaving critics to question why they exist at all.

"It's really a policing of certain bodies," said Katie Sveinson, an assistant professor in the School of Sport, Tourism, and Hospitality Management at Temple University. "It's people in power who are deciding what is acceptable for athletes to wear, or it is a perception of outsiders saying what certain bodies should be wearing."

Breen and other women have been criticized for clothing deemed revealing or indecent, even though her shorts complied with regulations. In other cases, women are expected to wear skirts, bikini bottoms or other clothing that can make them feel uncomfortable or sexualized.

Each sport has a committee that determines uniform protocols. But vague wording in some of the policies gives officials broad discretion to determine what falls outside the rules. The International Tennis Federation, for example, requires "clean and customarily acceptable tennis attire," a guideline that athletes like Serena Williams have pushed the boundaries on by wearing outfits that have included a black tulle tutu and a black catsuit.

In 2014, the Colombia women's cycling team drew backlash for wearing uniforms, reportedly designed by one of the team's members, that included a section of beige-colored fabric covering the women's waist and hips. The team faced accusations that they appeared to look naked, and the president of the International Cycling Union at the time tweeted that the outfits were "unacceptable by any standard of decency." But the uniforms did not appear to violate any rules on acceptable competition attire - and drew comparisons to beige uniforms worn by a team of male cyclists during the 2010 season.

Alice Dearing, is the first black woman swimmer to represent Team GB at the 2020 Olympics.

Currently, beach handball is part of the Summer Youth Olympics, but not the regular Games. The international governing federation requires women beach handball players to wear bikini bottoms with "a close fit," with a side width that can be a maximum of 10 centimeters, or 3.9 inches. The men, however, can wear looser shorts that stop 10 centimeters above their knees.

A spokeswoman for the International Handball Federation said she did not know the reason for the different rules, according to The New York Times. Members of Norway's women's handball team told reporters they knowingly defied the rules to spark a conversation about the uniform requirements.

"We are overwhelmed by the attention and support from all over the world," the team's Instagram account posted after news of the fine broke. "Thank you so much to all the people who support us and help spread the message! We really hope this will result in a change of this nonsense rule!"

Over the years, bikinis in particular have become a source of contention among beach volleyball players and spectators. In 2012 the International Volleyball Federation said it would no longer insist women wear bikinis, opening the door for others like the Egyptian women's volleyball team to participate wearing hijabs and long sleeves.

The push for more clothing options is gaining attention in other sports. While competing in the European Championships in April, German gymnast Sarah Voss and two of her teammates bucked the conventional leotard in favor of a full bodysuit, which is allowed by the international gymnastics federation but has been typically used for religious purposes. Voss, who will compete in Tokyo as well, told the BBC that gymnasts should feel open to wear whichever style of leotard makes them comfortable.

"To do splits and jumps, sometimes the leotards are not covering everything, sometimes they slip and that's why we invented a new form of leotard so that everyone feels safe around competitions and training," she told the BBC.

Research indicates that young girls who do not feel comfortable in their sports uniform may drop out or disengage with the activity. One Victoria University study about athletic uniforms in Australia found that 88 percent of the girls surveyed preferred to wear shorts for sports and 90 percent preferred to wear t-shirts.

As the conversation about diversity and inclusivity in sports grows, major sportswear manufacturers are making efforts to consider fits for people with different cultural backgrounds, physical needs and body shapes, but more work needs to be done, said Susan Sokolowski, a professor and founding director of the Sports Product Design Master's program at the University of Oregon.

After the International Swimming Federation (FINA) declined to authorize the use of a swim cap brand designed for natural curly and protective hairstyles worn by Black people, heavy criticism from the public, including several American lawmakers, prompted the federation to review its decision. In a statement, FINA said it would consider this swim cap brand and similar products as "part of wider initiatives aimed at ensuring there are no barriers to participation in swimming."

The swim cap discussion accompanies broader conversations about the systemic treatment of Black cisgender women athletes, as well as those who are transgender or intersex. Historically, Black women athletes have faced pressure to look put together and respectable in order to mitigate potential distraction or external criticism, said Cat Ariail, a history instructor at Middle Tennessee State University who focuses on gender and sports.

But they will still face racist criticism for things outside of their control, like their bodies or physical features that differ from White athletes, said Lori Latrice Martin, associate dean and professor in the Department of African and African American Studies at Louisiana State University. During the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, U.S. gymnast Gabby Douglas became the target of hateful online comments about her hair, and she opened up in an Instagram post last year about the turmoil her hair insecurities caused her growing up.

As more women in sports speak up about the superficial criticism they face and the standards upheld by officials in their industry, Sveinson from Temple University said she hopes for more thoughtful consideration of the uniform rules and practices.

"It is a narrow-minded way of thinking to say, 'This is how clothing has been, so this is how it has to be," she said, "instead of saying, 'We need to start making decisions that allow more people to participate and more people to train in ways that make them feel comfortable.'"

Breen told reporters that she filed a complaint against the official who commented on her competition shorts and wants to see more education about why such remarks are not acceptable.

"I've had lots of messages from young girls that this happened to them," Breen told Sky News. "This can't happen again ... I think it's really wrong."

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Skirts. Bikini bottoms. Leotards. Ahead of Olympics, athletes call out sexist uniform practices.

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The two-time Paralympic world champion Olivia Breen had just wrapped a long jump competition at the English Championships on Sunday when she was approached by an official who said her competition shorts were "too revealing" and suggested she buy another pair. "I didn't know what to say," Breen later told Sky News.

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The Real Reason Olympic Sports Have Strict Dress Codes by Grunge - In bubble

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The Real Reason Olympic Sports Have Strict Dress Codes by Grunge - In bubble

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXlW91t74Y0

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0:00 / 0:30•Watch full video

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The Real Reason Olympic Sports Have Strict Dress Codes

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiCftTLUzCI

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fg5FoBc_RNk

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Ricky Gervais defends Netflix’s ‘SuperNature’ after activists pull up the show for ‘anti-trans’ jokes

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GLAAD also criticised Netflix for giving a go-ahead to anti-LGBTQ content.

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Who knows exactly what response Netflix expected for SuperNature, Ricky Gervais's transphobic new standup special, but pardon us while we refrain from clapping.

After the backlash to Dave Chappelle's transphobic 2021 Netflix special The Closer, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said he believed in "artistic expression," and that his stance toward Chappelle's comedy hadn't changed - implying that trans people would just have to get over it. That seems to be the platform's party line on transphobia. The company's long-term investment in Gervais includes releasing shows he stars in, like and , and reportedly paying him $40 million in total for his most recent pair of comedy specials. Humanity, released to Netflix in 2018, likewise reeked of transphobia. In SuperNature, the level of transphobia goes several degrees further than Humanity and even further than Chappelle's seeming fixation on pronouns and genitalia. Gervais parrots numerous ideas that form the backbone of transphobic TERF ideology, then blames transgender audiences for being mad.

Gervais, like many other comedians of late, has spent his last several cycles on the comedy circuit reacting over and over again to so-called "woke" culture and comedy, as if the concept of comedy that refuses to punch down is so egregious all he can do is continually react to it, then react to the reactions to his reactions.

This time around, having been through repeated backlash over his previous offenses, he's at pains to explain the structure of his comedy - to explain to us why he holds the comedic high ground over his invisible future catcallers. See, he stops to inform his audience, the joke he's about to tell isn't offensive because he's being ironic. Now he's being metaphorical. Now he's using figurative language to illustrate that words aren't violence.

Gervais, predictably, given his overt approval of TERF talking points, builds his entire indignant anti-woke stance specifically around transgender people: their anatomies, their pronouns, their existence. It takes him all of two minutes to make his first trans joke: A mention of fellow British comic Eddie Izzard, who has long identified as transgender and began using she/her pronouns two years ago. The "joke" isn't actually a joke, because Eddie Izzard merely existing isn't inherently funny; but the audience laughs at Izzard's name, right on cue, because Gervais, having already condescended to explain irony to us, expects us to laugh at the whole concept of Izzard, or maybe the concept of finding Izzard funny, or an uncomfortable mix of both.

It doesn't matter which of these jokes is intended, because Gervais has already rejected the counterargument that a hateful joke is only "ironic" when everyone is in on it and when no one is secretly having their actual bigotry reinforced by the cruelty at the center of said irony. Toward the end of the show, he drags out an appalling sketch full of racist Sinophobic stereotypes, which he insists isn't racist because it's "ironic." Doesn't matter that this kind of "irony" is what allows white supremacists to operate in plain sight. Doesn't matter that five minutes into SuperNature an audience member audibly laughs at a mention of rape, which might indicate that perhaps Gervais's audience isn't as ironically humorous as he wants them to be. No, Gervais seems to have decided that because words aren't literal physical violence, nothing he says can cause harm.

And once establishing this up front, he proceeds to use trans people as a (metaphorical) punching bag.

Gervais has said repeatedly that he doesn't disrespect "real" trans people; rather, he only mocks specific people he sees as male sexual predators who've usurped "real" trans identity in order to prey on women by pretending to be women. This is pure TERF rhetoric divorced from reality.

Gervais has spent years making fun of trans women onstage; on social media, he's spent the past few years amplifying transphobic TERF talking points about how trans people (usually women) are rapists, perverts, liars, and linguistic terrorists. Much like JK Rowling, Gervais claims to be very concerned with the state of cis men pretending to be women in order to rape them, while insisting that "real" trans people should be respected; but if you look for examples of Gervais actually embracing, supporting, or affirming "real" trans women, you won't find any. Trans people seem to only interest Gervais when he has an excuse to dismiss or dehumanize them - or joke about beating them up or compare them to rodents.

Onstage, his obsession with trans people includes a vile fixation on anatomy. He expects his audience to laugh at the idea of a trans woman having male anatomy; he expects us to ridicule the idea that anyone wouldn't laugh. Over and over again he "jokes" about trans women having penises. He says he personally supports trans rights, then talks about trans women raping other women, implies that trans people are "mental," and implies that trans people invented "self-identification" sometime after the '60s in order to exploit their marginalized status. Woe for today's kids, he suggests, whose too-woke parents might force them into a "trendy" trans lifestyle.

Any trans person who complains about his comedy is "virtue signaling." Such trans people are, he tells us, motivated by superiority and a wish to tear other people down. It surely has nothing to do with the astronomically high levels of violence against trans people, nor the equally high levels of trans mental health issues and suicidal ideation - all of which are directly linked to harmful transphobic rhetoric. Of course Gervais makes no mention of this; it's not funny, after all, and it undercuts his ultimate thesis that insensitive or deliberately offensive humor should be seen as a form of affection and caring. We're expected to speak his lingua franca of bad jokes and meet him halfway by agreeing that "identity politics" should be just as susceptible to mockery as everything else.

Given the TERF-y interludes, SuperNature is an unnecessarily cruel piece of transphobic rhetoric. But without the TERF-y parts, it just feels superfluous; there's no real reason for it to exist. Gervais needs transphobia to have something to say, and apparently Netflix does too. The streaming service surely understood that by releasing this special, it would get more of the backlash it received after The Closer. During that backlash, Sarandos first said that he didn't believe The Closer could cause any real-world harm, then recanted that statement, possibly after trans activists and allies pointed out horrifying trans suicide statistics. (It's worth noting that Netflix has also made a significant financial investment in Chappelle.) Netflix went through all this once, yet still chose to release SuperNature at a moment when vulnerable trans people are already getting hit with wave after wave of unnecessary cruelty.

The implication seems clear: Netflix is just fine suffering transphobic fools for views. It's just fine inflicting bigoted hateful rhetoric on its subscribers. It's just fine with the subsequent real-world harm that comes from amplifying such views. The platform's choice to release this special now, during a wave of unprecedented anti-trans legislation, is unconscionable. It's not just that Gervais, his fellow contrarian comedians, and his large audience may feel validated and affirmed in their hatred of trans people and will pay that forward in the form of more cruelty and discrimination. It's not just that actual trans people may be hurt, may internalize harmful messages and shame because of SuperNature 's existence. It's that Netflix is an influencer; its decisions make waves. By openly signaling that trans people and their allies are disposable within its business model, Netflix sets a precedent that many other companies in the tech and entertainment industries are likely to follow.

And, sure, this is nothing new - but that doesn't make it hurt less. If trans people are to be thrown to the wolves of comedy, one would hope the wolves would at least be funnier.

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With Ricky Gervais's new special, Netflix yet again suffers transphobic fools

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Who knows exactly what response Netflix expected for SuperNature, Ricky Gervais's transphobic new standup special, but pardon us while we refrain from clapping. After the backlash to Dave Chappelle's transphobic 2021 Netflix special The Closer , Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said he believed in "artistic expression," and that his stance toward Chappelle's comedy hadn't changed - implying that trans people would just have to get over it.

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"Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling slammed transgender activists Monday for publicizing her home address on social media.

On Friday night, the eve of Transgender Day of Remembrance, comedian Holly Stars, actor Georgia Frost and drag king Richard Energy staged a demonstration in front of Rowling's home near Edinburgh, Scotland, in protest against her controversial views on the trans community.

In a thread on Twitter, Rowling bashed the the trio for "doxxing" her when they posted a now-deleted photo on the social media site with the author's home address visible in the background. "Doxxing" is a term used to describe the publication of someone else's private information online without their consent.

"I have to assume that @IAmGeorgiaFrost, @hollywstars and @Richard_Energy_thought doxxing me would intimidate me out of speaking up for women's sex-based rights," the author wrote on Twitter. "They should have reflected on the fact that I've now received so many death threats I could paper the house with them, and I haven't stopped speaking out."

"Perhaps - and I'm just throwing this out there - the best way to prove your movement isn't a threat to women, is to stop stalking, harassing and threatening us," she added.

Stars defended posting the photo in a now-deleted tweet, but said she deleted the image after receiving online threats.

"While we stand by the photo, since posting it we have received an overwhelming amount of serious and threatening transphobic messages so have decided to take the photo down," Stars wrote. "Love to our trans siblings."

The debacle is the latest battle in an ongoing war between trans activists and the "Harry Potter" author. Over the last several years, Rowling has been criticized for her controversial views on the trans community, which some have called transphobic.

The rift blew up in 2019 when Rowling expressed her support for Maya Forstater, a British tax specialist who was fired for tweets deemed anti-transgender. Rowling then drew criticism for a slew of tweets that were widely seen as containing transphobic ideas.

Last year, she doubled-down on her views in a nearly 4,000-word blog post. There, she questioned if there was a "contagion" fueled by social media that has led to the rise in the number of young people coming out as transgender.

In the blog post, the author also revealed that she is a survivor of domestic abuse and sexual assault.

"So I want trans women to be safe. At the same time, I do not want to make natal girls and women less safe. When you throw open the doors of bathrooms and changing rooms to any man who believes or feels he's a woman - and, as I've said, gender confirmation certificates may now be granted without any need for surgery or hormones - then you open the door to any and all men who wish to come inside. That is the simple truth," she wrote.

Rowling's views on the trans community have led many to label her as a "TERF," which stands for transgender-exclusionary radical feminist. On Monday, she again defended women who share her views on trans people.

"None of these women are protected in the way I am. They and their families have been put into a state of fear and distress for no other reason than that they refuse to uncritically accept that the socio-political concept of gender identity should replace that of sex," she wrote.

"Harry Potter" star Daniel Radcliffe hit back at Rowling last year in a personal essay, declaring that "transgender women are women."

"Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations, who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either Jo or I," he wrote, referring to a nickname for Rowling.

Last week, cast members from all eight films of the "Harry Potter" series, including Radcliffe, announced that they will reunite for the film's 20th anniversary.

Rowling will not appear in the reunion special, but will be featured in archival footage.

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J.K. Rowling slams transgender activists for posting her home address on Twitter

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"Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling slammed transgender activists Monday for publicizing her home address on social media. On Friday night, the eve of Transgender Day of Remembrance, comedian Holly Stars, actor Georgia Frost and drag king Richard Energy staged a demonstration in front of Rowling's home near Edinburgh, Scotland, in protest against her controversial views on the trans community.

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Ricky Gervais' new Netflix special SuperNature has drawn criticism for several jokes about trans people, with the US LGBTQ rights group Glaad calling it "dangerous".

"We watched the Ricky Gervais 'comedy' special on Netflix so you don't have to," Glaad said in a statement published on Tuesday night. "It's full of graphic, dangerous, anti-trans rants masquerading as jokes. He also spouts anti-gay rhetoric and spreads inaccurate information about HIV."

In the show Gervais, a longtime controversialist, opens with a caveat that many of his jokes will be ironic, explaining: "That's when I say something I don't really mean, for comic effect, and you, as an audience, you laugh at the wrong thing because you know what the right thing is. It's a way of satirising attitudes."

Soon after, he jokes about "old-fashioned women. They're the ones with wombs. Those fucking dinosaurs. I love the new women. They're great, aren't they? The new ones we've been seeing lately. The ones with beards and cocks." He then imagines a conversation with a woman who objects to sharing a bathroom with a trans woman: "They are ladies, look at their pronouns. What about this person isn't a lady?" He then responds: "Well, his penis."

"Full disclosure: in real life, of course, I support trans rights," Gervais later says. "I support all human rights, and trans rights are human rights. Live your best life. Use your preferred pronouns. Be the gender that you feel that you are. But meet me halfway, ladies: lose the cock. That's all I'm saying."

"Netflix has a policy that content 'designed to incite hate or violence' is not allowed on their platform, but we all know that anti-LGBTQ content does exactly that," Glaad's statement said. "While Netflix is home to some groundbreaking LGBTQ shows, it refuses to enforce its own policy in comedy.

"The LGBTQ community and our allies have made it very clear that so-called comedians who spew hate in place of humor, and the media companies who give them a platform, will be held accountable. Meanwhile, there are PLENTY of funny LGBTQ comedians to support."

Gervais and Netflix have yet to respond to requests for comment.

On Tuesday Alexis Rangel, policy counsel with the National Center for Transgender Equality in the US, said jokes that perpetuated "dehumanizing myths about transgender people" could fuel hatred of trans people and "give people permission to discriminate, harass and even commit violence".

In SuperNature, Gervais disputes that "words are actual violence", saying: "These people are virtue signalling ... they're basically saying that minorities don't have a sense of humour, which is so patronising."

The show also includes a lengthy routine about the origins of HIV, when Gervais says: "That's not as good as it was, Aids ... in its heyday, it was fucking amazing, wasn't it, Aids?" He then pretends to be a gay man refusing sex in the 80s due to the risk: "Now it's, 'Give it here. I'll take pills for the rest of my life.'"

During this routine he tells his audience: "Netflix have already bought this, fuck 'em."

After protests and staff walkouts this month in response to anti-trans jokes in Dave Chappelle's latest special, The Closer, Netflix updated its corporate culture guidelines to add a portion about artistic expression that states that employees "may need to work on titles you perceive to be harmful" and, if that's not acceptable, "Netflix may not be the best place for you."

Ted Sarandos, the chief executive of Netflix, has defended Chappelle's special, saying: "You can't please everybody or the content would be pretty dull. I do think that the inclusion of the special on Netflix is consistent with our comedy offering."

When Chappelle was attacked on stage by an audience member, he joked that the attacker "was a trans man".

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Ricky Gervais Netflix special condemned by LGBTQ groups for 'anti-trans rants masquerading as jokes'

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Ricky Gervais' new Netflix special SuperNature has drawn criticism for several jokes about trans people, with the US LGBTQ rights group Glaad calling it "dangerous". "We watched the Ricky Gervais 'comedy' special on Netflix so you don't have to," Glaad said in a statement published on Tuesday night.

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Over the past two years, nine states have enacted laws to bar transgender girls and women from competing in girls' and women's sports. Another relied on an executive order for a ban.

L.G.B.T.Q. rights supporters gathered last month at the Texas statehouse to protest efforts to restrict the participation of transgender athletes in sports. Credit... Tamir Kalifa/Getty Images

Update, May 24, 2022: Eighteen states have enacted laws or issued statewide rules that bar or limit transgender sports participation. See the latest map.
Texas has become the latest, and the most populous, state to bar transgender girls from participating in girls' sports at public schools.

Texas interscholastic rules had already prevented athletes from competing outside the gender category they were assigned at birth, unless they had changed their birth certificates to reflect their gender identity. But conservative lawmakers wanted to close the loophole, so they put forward a bill that was signed into law on Monday by Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican.

The legislation, commonly referred to as House Bill 25, or H.B. 25, is scheduled to take effect on Jan. 18.

The Texas law came after a flurry of statehouse activity earlier this year, mostly in the South and the Midwest, and many supporters and critics of these laws anticipate more legislative action in the coming year on issues of participation for transgender athletes in sports.

Since 2019, nine states - all controlled by Republican lawmakers - have enacted legislation to ban or limit athletic participation by transgender students, and another has done so via executive order, with all but one of the laws coming in 2021, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Three other states - Kansas, Louisiana and North Dakota - passed bills, which were then vetoed by their governors. In 2021, 23 additional states considered, but did not pass, similar legislation; one Minnesota bill called for criminal penalties against transgender girls who compete in girls' sports.

There are also several pending court cases on the issue, including ones in Idaho, Connecticut, West Virginia and Florida, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.

"This was an unprecedented wave, and this was a very coordinated attack orchestrated by a small number of far-right organizations," said Jessica Shortall, director of corporate engagement for Freedom for All Americans, a group that works for nondiscrimination protections for L.G.B.T.Q. people and tracks legislation targeting transgender student-athletes. "We are seeing it have real consequences for young trans people and their families, because of the message it sends."

The new law in Texas was enacted during a special legislative session called by Abbott, who is running for re-election next year and faces serious primary challenges from fellow Republicans for the first time in his quarter-century career in public office.

Supporters of the new law say that it promotes fairness because, without such legislation, women's sports could be dominated by transgender athletes who have benefited from the gains in strength typically conferred by male hormones produced during puberty.

"House Bill 25 is one of the greatest victories for equality for girls since Title IX passed 50 years ago!" the primary sponsor, Valoree Swanson, a state representative from a district north of Houston, said in a statement. "I am overjoyed that Governor Abbott has signed my bill into law!"

To critics, however, these laws seem to be designed primarily to appease certain voters, and to overstate the threat to girls' sports.

While there is minimal scientific research on transgender athletes, there are also relatively few people who would be directly affected by laws like H.B. 25. Joanna Harper, a researcher based at Loughborough University in Britain who studies the effects of hormone therapy on transgender athletes, told The New York Times last year that out of 200,000 women in college sports at a given time, about 50 are transgender.

Critics of the bans say they can have a substantial effect on the well-being of the few young people targeted by such legislation, as well as their families.

"Trans kids and adults in Texas - and everywhere - deserve love and support, peace of mind, health care, happiness, to be carefree and focus on living out their greatest potential," said Ricardo Martinez, chief executive officer of Equality Texas, the state's largest L.G.B.T.Q. organization. "They deserve not to be debated but affirmed and the right to exist without their government trying to push them out of everyday life."

J. David Goodman contributed reporting.

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Transgender Athletes Face Bans From Girls' Sports in 10 U.S. States

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Over the past two years, nine states have enacted laws to bar transgender girls and women from competing in girls' and women's sports. Another relied on an executive order for a ban. Update, May 24, 2022: Eighteen states have enacted laws or issued statewide rules that bar or limit transgender sports participation.

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Last month, University of Pennsylvania transgender senior Lia Thomas competed at the 2022 women's NCAA swimming and diving championships. Ms. Thomas won the 500-yard freestyle (crawl) event, besting second-place finisher Emma Weyant of the University of Virginia. Thomas' victory capped off a record-breaking year for the Penn swimmer in which she captured numerous Ivy League records and trounced the competition. (In December, she won a 1650-yard freestyle race by 38 seconds, an astronomical margin of victory in swimming).

'22 was Lia Thomas' first-year swimming for the lady Quakers, and she dominated. Previously, Thomas swam for the men's team where she had a solid, though unremarkable career. (After her junior season, Ms. Thomas sat out for one season while transitioning to a woman and underwent hormone replacement therapy.)

Thomas' success on the women's team elicited passionate responses from both sides of the ideological divide. Generally, supporters of Thomas viewed her as a courageous trailblazer for transgender athletes, celebrated her accomplishments, and rightfully pointed out that she broke no NCAA rules. Detractors cried foul, arguing Thomas' record-breaking season should be null and void because she had an unfair physical advantage over the competition.
Important Nuances
There are some significant differences and more nuanced subtleties within the pro and anti-camps that are imperative to highlight.

Among those who do not believe Ms. Thomas should have been able to partake in swimming for the Lady Quakers are two distinct subgroups: individuals who believe Lia Thomas should not be able to swim because they are bigoted against trans-people; and those who fully accept transgender people and support trans rights, but believe that in this specific instance, Ms. Thomas should not have been allowed to participate. We vehemently reject the former and accept and subscribe to the latter viewpoint.

At TQC, we are not discounting the fact that people can and do identify with a sex other than the one on their birth certificate. However, we do not think this qualification entitles Lia Thomas or any other male who transitions into a female (transgender female) the right to compete in an event sanctioned for biological women.

Within the group of people who believe Ms. Thomas had a right to compete on the women's squad, there are also two distinct subgroups: those who believe that Lia Thomas followed the rules currently established by the NCAA, underwent HRT to lower her testosterone levels, identifies as a woman, and was therefore correct to swim for the Lady Quakers (we can understand and appreciate this view, we simply disagree with it); and those who believe that anybody who says Lia Thomas should not have been allowed to swim is bigoted towards trans people. We emphatically disagree with this notion.

If somebody presents strong, data-driven arguments to underpin their opinion that Lia Thomas should not have been allowed to swim for the Lady Quakers, that does not make them transphobic. Indeed, supporting trans-people (which we do) and supporting a particular trans person competing in a sanctioned event for women (which we do not) are mutually exclusive.

Said Virginia Tech senior Reka Gyorgy who narrowly missed the cut to qualify for a championship race. "I'd like to point out that I respect and fully stand with Lia Thomas; I am convinced that she is no different than me or any other D1 swimmer who has woken up at 5 a.m. her entire life for morning practice...On the other hand, I would like to critique the NCAA rules that allow her to compete against us, who are biologically women."
HRT
As we mentioned earlier in this post, Lia Thomas underwent replacement therapy (HRT) between her junior and senior seasons. HRT works in part by suppressing testosterone levels. Testosterone is the primary male sex hormone; it is also an anabolic steroid and the main driver why men usually outperform women in sports.

Proponents of Ms. Thomas being allowed to compete against biological women assert that HRT mitigated the biological advantage bestowed upon her. It did, but only minimally.

According to The Economist, "A pair of review studies, published in 2020 and 2021, concluded that testosterone suppression does not go far in removing the advantage bestowed by male puberty. The hope was that suppressing testosterone levels would reduce those advantages, letting female athletes compete with trans women on a reasonably level playing field. The science suggests that the compromise does not work."

Net net, did HRT slow Lia Thomas down? Yes. Did HRT slow Lia Thomas down to a level of ~parity with a competitive NCAA female-born swimmer? No. Taken together, following treatment, Lia Thomas was slower than a competitive NCAA male swimmer but clearly faster than a comparable women's swimmer.
MLB
Let us take a moment to focus on instances of unfair advantage in baseball, a sport that is closely followed by many Americans. From the late 1990s to the early 2000s, Major League Baseball (MLB) players, including Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds, and Sammy Sosa engaged in a furious home run frenzy that culminated in Roger Maris' single season (61) and Hank Aaron's all-time (755) home run records getting eviscerated. The accomplishments of McGwire, Bonds, Sosa, and others were certainly impressive, but there will always be an asterisk next to the names. The reason is that they cheated by taking performance-enhancing drugs (steroids).

To be clear, unlike the baseball sluggers mentioned above, Lia Thomas did not cheat; she abided by NCAA rules. But like the players who used anabolic steroids, Thomas had a distinct and unfair physical advantage while competing. This is an undeniable fact, regardless of what side of the political spectrum one falls.

It is also undeniable that straight people have benefited from a general advantage over transgender people because of discrimination. However, the NCAA allowing Thomas to compete is not the correct way to remedy these transgressions.
Fair Play
Is making an exception for a transgender athlete with a history of being marginalized appropriate, if by doing so, the action discriminates against most other athletes, which in this case are biological women. In our view, it does not.

We must not lose sight of the fact that every day, women across America and the world, are discriminated against - culturally, politically, and in the workforce - because of their gender. Women in America have battled to be recognized and treated as equals among their male peers. Disenfranchising 99% of NCAA Division 1 women swimmers who also rise early to practice, who also dream and make big sacrifices for a chance to be an NCAA women's champ, by allowing a transgender woman to swim against them - and defeat them - is unfair and a violation of women's rights. It also violates gay and bisexual women's swimmer's rights and even other trans women that have not undergone HRT and still compete against men. The NCAA must show backbone and change their rules.
Cancel Culture
In February, sixteen members of the Lady Quakers swim team penned a letter to Ivy League and NCAA officials expressing their view that Ms. Thomas should not be allowed to compete. An excerpt is here:

"We fully support Lia Thomas in her decision to affirm her gender identity and to transition from a man to a woman. Lia has every right to live her life authentically...However, we also recognize that when it comes to sports competition, that the biology of sex is a separate issue from someone's gender identity. Biologically, Lia holds an unfair advantage over competition in the women's category, as evidenced by her rankings that have bounced from #462 as a male to #1 as a female. If she were to be eligible to compete against us, she could now break Penn, Ivy, and NCAA Women's Swimming records; feats she could never have done as a male athlete."

This letter was reasonable and compassionate. It was also unsigned. The women who wrote it were (rightfully) terrified that they would be vilified by a mob of leftist extremists. Other athletes who spoke on the condition of anonymity shared similar views. Some feared reprisals for not being "progressive enough," whatever that means. Others were scared it would harm their job prospects or hurt networking opportunities.

Even the reporting of the letter itself was problematic. A headline on the Insidehigherd.com website read "Penn Swimmers Take Aim at Trans Teammate in Anonymous Letter." This headline is grossly misleading, and a microcosm of how similar issues are reported. The caption implies that Thomas' teammates were hostile towards a trans-person ("takes aim at trans teammate"). They clearly were not. They were simply expressing their opinion and doing so in a thoughtful, compassionate way, underpinned by facts.

It is one thing to make discriminatory statements. People who do often face consequences. But the fact that college athletes and others feel they cannot express a humble opinion without fear of being canceled is shameful and indicative of a serious problem on college campuses and throughout American culture.

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THE QUINTESSENTIAL CENTRIST | Lia Thomas

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Last month, University of Pennsylvania transgender senior Lia Thomas competed at the 2022 women's NCAA swimming and diving championships. Ms. Thomas won the 500-yard freestyle (crawl) event, besting second-place finisher Emma Weyant of the University of Virginia. Thomas' victory capped off a record-breaking year for the Penn swimmer in which she captured numerous Ivy League records and trounced the competition.

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https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/07/this-is-how-female-athletes-are-taking-a-stand-against-sexist-clothing-rules/

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Female athletes are gradually rejecting outdated uniform regulations, which have a history of prioritising feminine aesthetics over comfort.

The Norwegian women's handball team were fined for wearing shorts instead of bikini bottoms.

German gymnasts decided to take a stand against their sexualisation, donning full-body suits at the European Artistic Gymnastics Championships.

Protests pave the way for female athletes to have more control over how their bodies are presented while competing.

Women’s dress codes in sport are determined by “traditions” that are both outdated and gendered. Their outfits have long tried to reconcile notions of “femininity” with those of “athleticism”, but this process has turned women into objects to be admired rather than being valued for their sporting skills.

However, there is recent rebellion in the ranks. Slowly, female athletes are pushing back on outdated uniform regulations and demanding that athleticism be prioritised over aesthetics.

A long history of discomfort

Where now the emphasis seems to be on revealing women’s bodies, the opposite was once the case. In the 19th century, when upper-middle-class women were eventually permitted to engage in games such as lawn tennis, their attire was suitably “feminine”, modest and designed to attract a potential husband rather than enhance their athleticism. Without doubt, their corsets and full-length dresses would have severely restricted their capacity to lunge and leap across the court in the way that today’s female tennis players do.

By the turn of the 20th century, physical education began to contribute to the reform of female clothing for physical activities. The gymslip and tunic released the body from restraining garments such as corsets and bodices.

While this might seem progressive, the barrel shape of the new uniform carefully concealed young women’s bodies. Any signs of developing sexuality were effectively camouflaged, preserving their modesty for future maternal roles in society.

Women still battling conventions

Sportswomen of today are still navigating dress code conventions, but they are beginning to openly oppose them. Just this month, the Norwegian women’s beach handball team was fined for “improper clothing” during the European Championships in Bulgaria. This was because they were playing in shorts, as opposed to the required skimpy bikini bottoms, which should be “a close fit and cut on an upward angle toward the top of the leg” and have a maximum side width of 10cm, according to the 2014 International Handball Federation regulations.

The men’s beach handball teams have always been permitted to wear shorts. After unsuccessfully petitioning to replace the bikini bottoms with shorts, the Norwegian women’s team took matters into their own hands when they reached the bronze medal game against Spain. Despite being threatened with a fine or disqualification by the European Handball Federation, they opted to make a statement and wear thigh-length elastic shorts.

This resulted in a team fine of 1,500 euros (A$2,393). The Norwegian federation has agreed to pay the fine on behalf of the players in a show of support.

There were similar dress code protests by female athletes at the European Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Switzerland this year. German gymnasts decided to take a stand against their sexualisation, donning full-body suits. It all began with Sarah Voss’s performance, which was promptly followed by two of her teammates.

The decision to cover their entire body was a premeditated one. It received full support from the German federation (DTB), which advised that female athletes should always feel comfortable in their apparel.

The full-body suit, although rarely seen in women’s competitive gymnastics (unless there are religious reasons for wearing it), actually complies with the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) rules. Competitors are allowed to wear a “unitard (one-piece leotard with full-length legs – hip to ankle)”, as long as it is “of elegant design”.

Changing the focus to sporting prowess

Both the handball and gymnastics examples highlight how women, as insiders within the institution of sport, are beginning to challenge how their bodies are presented and policed by sport federations.

This paves the way for more sportswomen to oppose dress codes that are based on archaic ideas of what women should look like, often through the eyes of men.

What's the World Economic Forum doing about the gender gap?

The World Economic Forum has been measuring gender gaps since 2006 in the annual Global Gender Gap Report.

The Global Gender Gap Report tracks progress towards closing gender gaps on a national level. To turn these insights into concrete action and national progress, we have developed the Closing the Gender Gap Accelerators model for public private collaboration.

These accelerators have been convened in ten countries across three regions. Accelerators are established in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, and Panama in partnership with the InterAmerican Development Bank in Latin America and the Caribbean, Egypt and Jordan in the Middle East and North Africa, and Kazakhstan in Central Asia.

All Country Accelerators, along with Knowledge Partner countries demonstrating global leadership in closing gender gaps, are part of a wider ecosystem, the Global Learning Network, that facilitates exchange of insights and experiences through the Forum’s platform.

In 2019 Egypt became the first country in the Middle East and Africa to launch a Closing the Gender Gap Accelerator. While more women than men are now enrolled in university, women represent only a little over a third of professional and technical workers in Egypt. Women who are in the workforce are also less likely to be paid the same as their male colleagues for equivalent work or to reach senior management roles.

In these countries CEOs and ministers are working together in a three-year time frame on policies that help to further close the economic gender gaps in their countries. This includes extended parental leave, subsidized childcare and removing unconscious bias in recruitment, retention and promotion practices.

If you are a business in one of the Closing the Gender Gap Accelerator countries you can join the local membership base.

If you are a business or government in a country where we currently do not have a Closing the Gender Gap Accelerator you can reach out to us to explore opportunities for setting one up.

Although women’s sporting performances have been historically hampered and sexualised, sportswomen are finally calling the shots in terms of how their bodies are regulated through what they wear.

Perhaps now we can focus on their athleticism and contribution to sport.

License and Republishing

World Economic Forum Type may be republished in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License, and in accordance with our Terms of Use.

Written by

Rachael Jefferson-Buchanan, Lecturer in human movement studies (health and PE), Creative Arts, Charles Sturt University

This article is published in collaboration with The Conversation.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

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This is how female athletes are taking a stand against sexist clothing rules

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German gymnasts decided to take a stand against their sexualisation, donning full-body suits at the European Artistic Gymnastics Championships.

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Search up 'Should trans women be allowed in womens sport'
The conversations are really controversial and interesting to reflect about.

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Olympic Uniform Appeal - Different Bubble

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Olympic Uniform Appeal - Different Bubble

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https://faculty.elmira.edu/dmaluso/sports/sexappeal/sexappealtopic.html

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In regards to athletics, society has presented the controversial question, 'why are male and female uniforms so different?' Sporting attire has changed dramatically over the years in numerous sports. Uniforms are meant to be comfortable and physically accommodating for the particular sport. If this is the case, then why are so many female athletes wearing such skimpy and often provocative attire while playing?

Unfortunately, sex sells, and athletes and sponsors know this a little too well. It is common for female athletes to promote themselves in their sport through sex appeal. Tennis, track, and volleyball players, golfers, and even a racecar driver have used their looks to attract fans and attention by wearing inappropriate clothing, posing for magazines, or being in commercials that show them in an attractive setting or action. Sexploitation has made a huge impact on society. People of all ages see that these female athletes are using forms of marketing, media, etc to gain exposure as an athlete by using their sex appeal and their physiques. This creates a problem for society because young people especially look up to these athletes and may get the wrong idea of what it means to be an athlete.

The media primarily critiques female athletes in terms of body type and looks, instead of their performance as an athlete. Some male and female sports do generally wear the same clothing. For instance, in track, both men and women wear body-fitting uniforms made out of lightweight material. For track, the lack of material helps them to perform better because it allows the athletes to be aerodynamic and reduces friction. However, one may notice that even though some men and women wear skimpy shorts, females wear very short, bikini-like shirts, where the men wear a tight-fitted tank top. If the women are as unclothed as they can be, why do the men even wear shirts, wouldn't that make them faster anyways? One would think that the male athletes in track would do this in order to promote themselves through sex appeal. Many other sports share this issue.

Sporting attire for beach volleyball varies greatly between male and female. Male beach volleyball players wear beach shorts and sometimes singlets, where "women must compete in bra-style tops and bikini bottoms that must not exceed six centimeters in width at the hip". Keep in mind the intention of athletic uniforms, which is attire to be worn while playing a sport that helps the athlete move comfortably. "Women's beach volleyball, on the other hand, has introduced uniforms intentionally to focus attention on the athletes' bodies rather than for any technological, practical or performance-enhancing reasons" ( Australian Sports Commission).

Sexploitation through uniforms and the media can put athletes in a tough situation. For some athletes like Anna Kournikova, her sex appeal works for her. Even though she has never won a tennis tournament, she is one of the most well-known tennis players because of her revealing uniforms and the sex appeal she has and portrays to the media. However, the famous Mia Hamm and Brandi Chastain were criticized when they flung off their shirt to reveal a sports bra when their team won. It doesn't make sense that they received flak for that because they were wearing hardly any clothing, and aren't that what people and the media would like to see? Many controversial issues have occurred because of sporting attire and sexploitation. "Research tells us girls start to drop out of sport at an alarming rate when they are in the 12 to 14 year age group. It shows also that the main reason for young girls abandoning sporting activities is to do with their poor self-image at a delicate stage of their transition into adulthood. Restrictive clothing such as short revealing skirts or heavy, unwieldy school uniforms have been cited as reasons for girls' unwillingness to take to the sports fields in lunch breaks." ( Australian Sports Commission) Sports needs to keep in mind the different body types, and how drastic the uniforms are from everyday attire when making guidelines for uniforms.

Many people will agree that sex appeal is not enough to build a strong sports career, nevertheless those same people will agree that it is a good tactic to market a sport. Over the last few decades the sports market has increased in competition and as a result the strategies to use sex appeal have also increased. Executives use sex appeal for several reasons. Foremost is to promote players sexuality that is an important part of gaining publicity and financial support. Secondly, increasing status of the sport and the players, as well as advertising products that range from personal hygiene to socks.

The President of Burns Sports and Celebrities Inc ( CNNMoney.com), addressed this issue in the following manner " If you look at advertising, in general it's about appearance and beauty" in the same matter FIFA president Sepp Blatter recently suggested that women soccer players should wear "more feminine uniforms" such as "tighter shorts" to raise fan interest and attract new sponsors" ( Social Soccer). Although this remark could be interpreted as sexist and may aggravate equal rights activists, Blatters is not entirely wrong, and to some extent this same remark may help women athletes get rid of double standards and stereotypes.

Women, after all enjoy displaying strong bodies, being as strong as men, and now have earned the spotlight in the media similar to men. In the end, women who worked hard to create their bodies playing a sport should have the right to show off right? Can you imagine an architect put to shame for showing of a beautiful building? So why does selling sex appeal infuriate others?

The typical argument is that women should excel for their ability not their looks, however, well known athletes are often persons possessing the natural or acquired traits, such as strength, agility, and endurance, that are necessary for physical excellence in sports, especially those performing in elite competition. I say more power to them if they can be outstanding athletes and still look beautiful!

What is so wrong and appalling about an image of a beautiful, strong woman showing her body? Could it be that people feel threatened by the prospect of women becoming equally recognized in sports as men? Honestly if men looked good wearing skimpy clothes I'm sure they would be wearing them as well. Furthermore if men really wanted to see sexy almost naked women they might have better luck watching an R-rated movie or even buying magazines to get their thrills. No one denies that advertising sexuality over ability is wrong, but once again most women who play sports and get national coverage have extraordinary ability.

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In regards to athletics, society has presented the controversial question, 'why are male and female uniforms so different?' Sporting attire has changed dramatically over the years in numerous sports. Uniforms are meant to be comfortable and physically accommodating for the particular sport.

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https://www.instyle.com/awards-events/sports/olympics/women-athletes-olympics-uniforms

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But some Olympic athletes are fighting back.

The women competing at the 2021 Summer Olympics - taking place in Tokyo until Aug. 8 - are the top athletes in the world; yet, it's the fact that they're women athletes that often ends up in the spotlight, especially when it comes to what they are or aren't wearing. While not entirely shocking given the world's history of sexist double standards, not just in sports, but in most professional areas, the gratuitous rules about women's uniforms are due for a change.

It's an open secret that Olympic standards are skewed against sexist (and racist) lines. Just weeks before the games were set to start this year, swim caps designed for natural Black hair were banned. According to the International Swimming Federation, the caps didn't fit "the natural form of the head." Erin Adams, a former Division I swimmer, told the New York Times that the the cap was especially helpful for Black women, who "usually have more hair." The decision to ban the caps, therefore, was simply another means of controlling Black women's clothing, bodies, and hair. "They're just trying to make it difficult for us to have ease when participating."

Unfortunately, the regulation doesn't stop at the Olympics.

The stipulations placed on female athletes often veer into irrational and glaringly sexist territory, particularly in the case of Canadian tennis champion Eugenie Bouchard. In 2015, Bouchard was flagged by an umpire for violating Wimbledon's all white dress code after accidentally showing a black bra strap (not even the whole bra) underneath her white gear.

Prior to the Olympics this summer, the Norwegian women's beach handball team was fined for refusing to play the game in bikini bottoms during the Euro 2021 tournament. Players wore thigh-length elastic shorts during their match against Spain to protest the standard regulated bikini bottom. (Men wear loose-fitting thigh-length shorts.) The team was fined roughly $1,700 USD for "improper clothing" according to a statement from the European Handball Association's Disciplinary Commission.

The musician Pink has offered to pay their fines and tweeted, "I'm VERY proud of the Norwegian female beach handball team FOR PROTESTING THE VERY SEXIST RULES ABOUT THEIR 'uniform'. The European handball federation SHOULD BE FINED FOR SEXISM. Good on ya, ladies. I'll be happy to pay your fines for you. Keep it up."

Earlier in July, double Paralympic world champion Olivia Breen spoke out after an official at the English Championships told her that her briefs were "too short and inappropriate." Breen said that she was "speechless" and the comment hurt more coming from another woman. She later said that she will be making a formal complaint, stating, "[The officials] have no right to say what I can and can't wear."

The irrational regulation of women's clothing has a particularly long and dark history in the world of professional sports going back 20 years. Soccer legend and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brandi Chastain was crucified by the press in 1999 when she tore off her shirt in celebration of a game winning penalty kick against China at the World Cup. At the time, many critics called her reaction "inappropriate" despite male players often doing the same thing.

And three years ago, Serena Williams' catsuit was banned at the French Open. According to the Associated Press, the French Tennis Federation President specifically called out Williams' outfit, saying, "It will no longer be accepted. One must respect the game and the place." The idea that Williams, one of the most accomplished tennis players of all time, disrespected the sport for wearing what she felt most confident in (not to mention, what was most comfortable following the difficult delivery of her daughter, Olympia, just months earlier) is a direct example of how deep rooted misogyny runs in sports.

It's bad enough that women already face double standards in just about every aspect of professional sports, but during this Olympics, some female athletes are taking a public stance against sexist conditions.

The German women's gymnastics team have chosen to reject the standard bikini cut unitards in favor of full-body versions. "It's about what feels comfortable," German gymnast Elisabeth Seitz said according to CNN. "We wanted to show that every woman, everybody, should decide what to wear." The suit, unlike the traditional bikini cut, covers the legs to the ankles.

The German Gymnastics Federation also said the outfits are a statement against "sexualization in gymnastics."

While fashion most certainly isn't the main focus of the Olympic games, it's undeniable that it has a major role to play, whether it be in the actual scoring or the reception of the players. To acknowledge this, Olympic participants - from the International Olympic Committee to the audience at home - must recognize how outdated and unfair clothing regulations have been for women who reach this level.

If anything, this year's games have shown how fashion can be empowering for the world's top athletes - provided that they have a say in how much they want or don't want to reveal.

Ultimately, it should be up to the athlete to decide what they are most comfortable in while performing. If the Olympics want to set a positive example for their world wide audience, letting women dress in what makes them feel best - while competing at the highest level of professional sports - is the first step for the future of Olympics culture.

Anything short of just that further disappointment.

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Gratuitous Uniform Regulations Are Just Another Way to Police Women's Bodies

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But some Olympic athletes are fighting back. The women competing at the 2021 Summer Olympics - taking place in Tokyo until Aug. 8 - are the top athletes in the world; yet, it's the fact that they're women athletes that often ends up in the spotlight, especially when it comes to what they are or aren't wearing.

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https://www.tiktok.com/@attn/video/6987905220009381125?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1&q=%23athletes%20%23uniforms%20%23sexism&t=1653983265069

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It’s past time we stop sexualizing women in sports. #olympics #womensrights #learnontiktok #tiktokparter

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It’s past time we stop sexualizing women in sports. #olympics #womensrights #learnontiktok #tiktokparter
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