There is a new law in Mississippi banning transgender women in public schools and colleges from participating in sports. The argument behind this decision is to make sure that all girls competing in the state of Mississippi have a fair opportunity. What makes this already transphobic law even worse is the fact that there is scientific evidence proving that transgender women have no advantage over cis-gendered women. Many people do not understand that trans women have to go through surgical procedures, hormone replacement therapy, and have a strict set of rules made to level the playing field before they are even allowed to compete. Different athletes have different advantages over their competitors all the time; for example, Simone Biles, one of the greatest gymnasts in the world has the natural advantage of being 4ft 8in with a height to muscle ratio allowing her to do more flips in the same amount of time as her taller competitors. In fact, there are plenty of trans women athletes who compete professionally around the world who work just as hard as their cis-gendered counterparts, without the advantages, many people assume they have.
One example of this is Jessica Platt, who is a professional ice hockey player with the PWHPA (Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association), as well as an advocate for trans rights. She began playing professional women’s hockey in 2016 and came out as transgender two years later. Platt became the first openly transgender woman in the world of professional hockey. When she first started out playing professional women’s hockey, Platt made the team but did not make the main roster, only being called up for four games. She had to work tirelessly in order to make the main roster the following year. After coming out, she received a lot of support from everyone in the professional women’s ice hockey world. Jessica Platt is helping to lead the way for all women in sports.
Another example is Corinne Humphreys, who is a sprinter from England and has been involved in sports since the age of 9. She has played both football and basketball, but her true calling was running, specifically sprinting. In 2018, she represented team England in the 100m at the commonwealth games where she reached the semifinals. She has stated that there is not nearly enough BIPOC LGBTQIA+ representation in sports. Being a black trans woman in sports has made her life harder than it should be and she wants to set an example for other young, black, and LGBTQIA+ women in sport.
Jessica Platt and Corinne Humpreys prove how much representation matters in the world of sports. By signing a bill that actively keeps transgender people from participating in sports, these lawmakers are telling them that they cannot participate in things they are passionate about, such as athletics, because of who they are and how they identify. It is 2021 and transgender people should not feel ashamed for being who they are. The world of sports needs to continue to strive for a more inclusive community where everyone feels like they can achieve success.