Many state legislatures have introduced and passed laws excluding trans girls and women from sports. These laws can also affect girls that are born with or naturally develop variations in sex characteristics (also called intersex traits), nonbinary students, and in some cases, trans boys as well. The sad fact is, under these laws, girls—including trans and intersex girls and any other girl that someone perceives as not feminine enough—can be challenged, required to produce medical records, or even undergo examinations to “prove” they are a girl.7 These policies typically result in trans girls getting kicked off of teams entirely and being banned from trying out, communicate to kids that their identities are not valid, and deprive them of the benefits of sports. In short, they are discriminatory, because they prevent some girls from playing because of how they look or who they are, which is never okay under Title IX.
The Department of Education is showing that it supports all students, including trans, nonbinary, and intersex students. The Biden Administration and the Department of Education are trying to stop these harmful policies and protect all students—including trans, nonbinary, and intersex students—from being kicked out of sports or subjected to “gender verification” testing. This will make it harder for politicians to get away with harming trans kids.
Being included in sports is vital to ensuring LGBTQI+ youth have the same chance to thrive as their peers. Through sports, young people find role models, build essential relationships with peers and supportive faculty, improve their physical and mental health, and learn values like teamwork, sportsmanship, and self-discipline. Sadly, trans youth get the message from coaches, teachers, and popular culture that they are unwelcome. Politicians exploit these prejudices and legislate against the most vulnerable within this already marginalized community. Research demonstrates that inclusive school spaces, including inclusive policies that permit trans students to play sports, are correlated with transgender and nonbinary students reporting increased levels of belonging in the school community—an essential benefit given the high rates of in-school harassment and discrimination LGBTQI+ youth report.8 Over 450 bills targeting trans youth have been introduced across the country in 2022, sending the message to all youth that being different is not okay.9 Establishing trans-inclusive policies for youth sports is urgently needed to address this crisis.
