University of Florida author George B. Cunningham and Kelsey Garrison
Transgender individuals were not allowed to play on public school sport teams in accordance with their gender identity in 24 states in 2023. A person who identifies as a girl or woman but whose sex was assigned to them at birth is prohibited from participating in the girls ‘ or women’s athletic teams at public schools in that state.
Numerous discussions about fairness, the knowledge of sports performance, legal rights, and sports as a human right have been sparked by the issue.
We were interested in learning what led to these bans because we are experts who study diversity, equity, and inclusion in sports. Although not surprising, we demonstrated for the first time that state-level politics and public biases against transgender individuals are largely to blame through a thorough research that will be published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Sport Management.
Our study
In 2021 and 2022, we gathered information on says that had passed laws that forbade trans athletes from competing in sports with teams that closely resembled their own gender identities.
We gathered information about the percentage of Republican state lawmakers and the party affiliation of the government to ascertain the political affiliations of a country’s population.
Finally, we gathered data on the prejudices persons had against trans people. The information was obtained from business actions for Project Implicit. Visitors to the website is complete tests designed to gauge their prejudices against various groups, including transgender people. Officials then make the data easily accessible after removing identifying data. We combined the responses to produce trans bias scores for each position for our study.
The trans restrictions ‘ elections
States with traditional political leanings typically have more constrictive views on legal rights, including immigration, healthcare, and the death penalty.
Transgender rights are also covered by these trends.
Our research revealed that transgender athlete restrictions were most likely to be implemented in states with conservative-leaning parliament, such as Wyoming and West Virginia. as well as state with Republican governors, like Texas ‘ Greg Abbott and Florida’s Ron DeSantis.
The national political actions are consistent with these provincial patterns.
Title IX, the federal law that forbids gender discrimination at K–12 schools and colleges that receive federal funding, was proposed by the Biden presidency in 2023. Title IX had likewise outlaw discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation under Biden’s proposed changes.
Nearly all of the 26 Democratic governors called on Biden to postpone or revoke the law change in response. Biden has not yet made a last choice and has put off making the change.
Bias against trans individuals
Politicians, however, merely tells a portion of the story.
We discovered that the restrictions were caused by societal prejudices against trans people that were fueled by liberal political leanings.
Politicians craft narratives and framework their arguments in a way that influences how people feel about interpersonal issues, as political scientists have recently demonstrated. In fact, individuals occasionally change their viewpoints to reflect those of their social representatives.
What we discovered was that.
effects on sports and activities
Widespread forms of oppression are represented by biases that are common in a group or state. Shared biases serve to denigrate transgender people, harming their general health and well-being, along with laws that restrict rights.
The effect is widespread.
Transgender athletes have the true chance of taking part in a sport one day, only to be denied the opportunity the future. Regardless of age, ending a gymnastics career can have negative effects on some players ‘ mental health; this effect is only likely to be exacerbated by the cause of the end.
In traditional states, coaches and sport administrators may have to deal with laws that restrict who can enjoy for their teams. By working with school counseling and making sure their athletic departments are welcoming spaces, they can achieve this.
What’s coming up?
The connections between conventional politics, racial prejudices in society, and transsexual rights are not likely to break any time soon. Social liberals have emphasized trans rights in an effort to mobilize their supporters, according to national political investigators Adam Nagourney and Jeremy Peter. The GOP’s efforts were prompted by national conservative businesses ‘ plans to “harness the mood around sex politics.”
Counterarguments have been made by opponents of transgender addition, demonstrating that they have never posed a danger to women’s sports.
Although this information is crucial, it can only be used to combat preconceptions.
Prejudice is also reduced by learning and the opportunity to get around transgender individuals in daily life. When combined with powerful tales about transgender participation in sports, these factors as a whole might be what’s required to dispel the prejudices that already exist.
Kelsey Garrison is a PhD candidate at the University of Florida’s Department of Sports Management, and George B. Cunningham holds the UAA Endowed Professorship in Sport Management.
Under a Creative Commons license, this essay has been republished from The Conversation. Read the article in its entirety.
