The NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) became the first collegiate athletic association to ban transgender athletes from competing with their preferred gender category. The ruling was an interesting decision because it only banned trans-women from competing with biological women men, while anyone who wants to compete in the men’s division can if they want. The ruling officially stated that,
“Participation by student in sports designates as by the NAIA: All eligible NAIA student-athletes may participate in NAIA-sponsored male sports. Participation by students in sports designated as female by the NAIA: Only NAIA student-athletes whose biological sex is female may participate in NAIA-sponsored female sports.”
After the unanimous 20-0 vote, NAIA president Jim Carr spoke to CBS Sports about the Council’s decision. “We know there are a lot of different opinions out there,” Carr explained. “For us, we believed our first responsibility was to create fairness and competition in the NAIA. ... We also think it aligns with the reasons Title IX was created. You're allowed to have separate but equal opportunities for women to compete."
My Opinion
Full disclosure - I am a NAIA student-athlete. I am a swimmer in the Mid-South Conference.
I think this is a great thing for the protection of women’s sports. As a female athlete, there is always a fear that malicious men will see the chance to win in the “lesser” category. I think that group is a minority compared to the people who truly believe they are the opposite gender. However, very often a few malicious people ruin it for everyone. There are very obvious biological differences between men and women that need to be recognized.
My fear for this ruling is the “open” category that it is making in the men’s division. I feel that this could be fuel for the people to bring this ruling down. The argument is that if a few women choose to compete with the men because they dominate the women, these women would “prove” that there are no differences between the two genders.
Many people look at these issues through sports that they choose. I am not different; I typically see this through the eyes of a swimmer. I saw the sport being rocked during the 2022 NCAA National Swim Championship. When Lia Thomas competed for the University of Pennsylvania as a woman after competing for the past three years as a man. Thomas followed the rules laid out by the NCAA that “a person is only required one year of hormone-suppressant therapy.” However, the athlete had already gone through male puberty and had all the typical male characteristics. Thomas had higher testosterone levels than biological women (even with suppressants), larger lung capacity and larger limbs/body structure. Outside of the obvious debate, the NCAA did a few other things that caused controversy during that season, but that is another topic.
Thomas has discussed the transition and the effects on Thomas’s body after starting to take the estrogen/hormone suppressant. I think the athlete only proved the critics of the issue correct. “I lost muscle mass and I became a lot weaker, and a lot, a lot slower.” Imagine that when you started you got slower. I really can’t understand how Thomas thought this wouldn’t prove that there aren’t biological differences.
I am a high-level athlete, but I am by no means the best on my team. There are quite a few women in the NAIA that I can beat, however, there is an exceedingly small population of male athletes that I could beat. So, I do think that anything to protect Title IX and women’s sports is a good thing.
What do you think about the NAIA’s decision?
Consulted Articles
NAIA, small colleges association, bans transgender athletes from women's sports competitions - CBSSports.com
Lia Thomas, Trans Swimmer, Revives Debate About Sex Testing in Sports - The New York Times (nytimes.com)
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