The medical director of the University of Washington Medical Center recently stated that “science alone cannot resolve the transgender athletes ‘ justice conversation.”
Endocrinologist Bradley Anawat claimed that” there can be no scientific truth to what is fair ] and there is always going to be some degree of discussion” regarding trans-female players.
Anawat noted that sex-related athletic differences arise when people who go through “testosterone-based puberty” (aka boys ) gain advantages over those who go through “estrogen-based puberty” (aka girls ) during the middle of puberty.
Anawat said there are a “limited number of studies” regarding how long “differences in strength and power disappear” via estrogen alternative.
He pointed to a 2021 “metastudy” which notes it may take 1- 3 years for estrogen therapy to provide trans- female athletes ‘ cortisol levels along to that of their cis counterparts.
” Little remains unknown”, he said, adding that hormone- based advantages may be eliminated if “testosterone- based puberties” are prevented openly.
The article claims that puberty blockers “fully recoverable” and “pause puberty advancement to give transgender children more time and age to make a more permanent choice”
The Washington State Interscholastic Activities Association’s” Gender Diverse Youth Sport Inclusivity Toolkit” says that the contribution of” transfeminine” sports “has not been shown to reduce opportunities for another”.
But, just last week a transgender- female high school athlete won the 400- meter race at the state ( women ) track and field tournaments. The winner was reportedly the first transgender swimmer to reach the position last in Washington.
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From the , Spokesman- Review account:
Dr. Kellan Baker, who leads a regional business providing health care to the LGBTQ+ area, disagreed in part. According to him, a testosterone-based puberty does not automatically produce a better sportsman than an estrogen-based puberty does.
The factors that affect athletic performance are very diverse and distributed. Just because some athletic abilities are related to gender, such as men who are typically taller than women, does not imply that any one particular athlete has a unique edge in any particular game.
Not all men are equal to all people, no all women. Not all males excel in all sports, compared to all females. There is no way to attribute a certain hormone or puberty episode to you inferring that it gave you unmistakably dominance in this sport. It simply does n’t work like that”, he said.
Baker is among those who believe sports should target on , “life classes like cooperation, authority, and etiquette” instead of potential dynamic careers.
For his part, Anawat is aware of the opportunities awaiting athletes even at the middle and high school levels, even though both sides of the trans issue have to decide “what kind of society we all want” despite trans-athlete research” showing crystal-clear results” of competitive advantages.
” This question of fairness is still important”, he said. When one person performs well, they may receive scholarships or they may be admitted to a particular university when another person does not.
Anawat’s employer, the Division 1 University of Washington, offered a transgender female athlete a volleyball scholarship late last year.
MORE: Scholars: Conservative politics, biases behind transgender sports bans, not fairness issues
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