The Athletic Dominance of the “Biological Male”

… and why the whole transgender sports debate makes me laugh (and cry)

When I was in my early twenties (pre-gender transition) I went back to Michigan and visited my Aunt and cousin. My cousin was fourteen and about eight inches shorter than me. She was excited about getting selected for the Junior Varsity team and asked me to play some hoops with her. Although I didn’t have high expectations for my performance, a half-hour later we were 20 to 2. She completely dominated me.

I’ve never been a competitive kid, but I used to play basketball a lot with my friends. I never felt I fit in with the boys playing, and after the 7th grade gave up sports altogether. I didn’t even try any junior high or high school sports, knowing that I wouldn’t feel safe or like I belonged.

Had I been able to play with the other girls, I probably would have given it a try, but it’s a forgone conclusion that I wouldn’t have made Junior Varsity…

The whole transgender woman sports debate is very simple to me: It’s about cisgender privilege and fragility and the brave transgender women who stick out their necks for the rest of us.

These bullying people with power and privilege who want to criminalize transgender identities don’t care about women they can’t control or subjugate into their binary, socially acceptable view of gender and sexuality.

Bless you, Lia Thomas, and my other sisters who have more courage (and athletic ability) than me.