When we talk about women in sports, we need to include transgender and cisgender in the schedule. Actually, we don’t have to divide them into a group of transgender or cisgender, because they are all women. This discussion may be included, but most of the time with a negative view.
A big part of society doesn’t like the participation of transgender women, and there are plenty of (dumb) reasons why. Some may think the transgender has an advantage over other athletes, and this can be advantageous, in some way, for the team she plays. These people, basically, talk about the difference between a woman’s and a man’s body. A woman’s hip tip is wider, also tending to have a lower height and strength, according to some experts. And, according to these people, a man’s body can be stronger — and this is when they think trans people have an advantage.
However, it is necessary to point out that trans athletes, in addition to regular treatment, still undergo extra treatment to match cis women. The International Olympic Committee had changes in its rules, even for the dispute of the Olympic Games. For a trans woman, it takes a year of hormone treatment to keep the blood testosterone level at 10 nmol/L, and then always below the threshold.
In sports, we have an athlete who is always on the schedule, Tiffany Abreu. The volleyball player acts as a pointer or opposite. She was the first trans athlete to play a match in the Superliga, a Brazilian volleyball competition.
She was not present at the call for Tokyo Olympics Games, and she dreams that, one day, this space exists for trans women and that they are really included in society. When we talk about Tiffany Abreu, there are a lot of opinions, even from people inside volleyball. The Brazilian has already suffered from several comments: for example, Ana Paula and Tandara, both volleyball players, do not agree with her freedom on the court.
Agreeing or not agreeing, athletes and women should not be separated into transgender and cisgender, after all, they are all women. The world is in constant change and, like it or not, everyone deserves respect. In the future, it is expected that there will be justice.
———————————————————————-
The article above was written by Tayna Fiori and edited by Laura Enchioglo.
Liked this type of content? Check Her Campus Casper Libero’s home page for more!