The participation of transgender individuals in sports is a topic of discussion in the United States, and the new legislation does not appease Reem Alsalem, the UN Special Rapporteur, who thinks it would be detrimental to cisgender female athletes. The debate goes on.
The United States, the top monetary and sporting power in the world, is now debating amending education law to include a special provision for transgender people, among other things. It was put forth in April by President Joe Biden’s Democratic leadership and is known as Title IX of the 1972 Education Amendments.
In order to better integrate transgender people into sports, this constitutional reform is currently being discussed in the US. However, what might be diverse for one group might not be good for female athletes who are already competing. This is the justification advanced by Ms. Reem Alsalem, the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on violence against women.
Why does including some hurt others? It prevents cisgender girls and women from competing on an even playing field, among other things, which can result in sport failure and a loss of opportunities for athletics and fellowship. Trans players have an unfair advantage over transgender women because of the major physical and biological differences when they must compete with trans women.
It is a matter of opportunities that would be lost to modify or enhance the lives of American girls, teens, and young women as well as sports accomplishments. Basketball players, who may not have been able to attend college without their talent on the court, frequently have access to the United States’ sports system, which is connected to education from college through university and is frequently only available to those from low-income backgrounds through sporting merit (and scholarships).
Lia Thomas, a transgender diver, after triumphing in the culture in February 2022.
The Democratic Party’s suggested reform, according to Reem Alsalem, the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, “would have a detrimental impact on the participation of natural women and girls in sport.” It may prevent them from competing fairly, among other things. She claimed that doing so would mean losing options for activities and fellowship.
With just one article, Title IX changed US education laws to end sexual discrimination against women in the classroom, a problem that is closely related to American sports. Additionally, it sought to guarantee that women had access to the same opportunities as men.
The U.S. Department of Education has been suggesting changes to this subject for the past eight months in order to remove restrictions on players whose gender identity differs from their biological sex, among other things. The goal appears to be commendable: to lessen the number of instances in which transgender people have been disqualified from particular competitions, but the lot may suffer greatly as a result.
The changes, according to Ms. Alsalem, had likewise contravene the right to privacy as it is now understood, or at the very least, the private areas like showers and independent changing rooms for men and women. Additionally, it may result in “a loss of privacy and an increased chance of bodily harm due to greater exposure to pornography and sexual abuse.” The rapporteur asserted that the loss of privacy and fair and equal wearing and educational opportunities would also cause more frequent and accumulated psychological distress.
The 47-year-old Egyptian, who serves as the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls starting in 2021, concluded that “if adopted, the proposed changes would offend the United States’ international human rights duty and agreements, all of which relate to the prevention of all forms of violence and discrimination against men and women based on their sex.”
