Leveling the playing field
Transgender inclusion in athletics
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 9051973 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Robin M Mathy (0009-0005-5253-5183, Tulane University), Naaz Mirreghabie (0009-0006-6244-6632, Tulane University) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Publication date | 2025-12-15 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | American Journal of Orthopsychiatry (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0002-9432 • E-ISSN: 1939-0025 |
| Publisher | American Psychological Association (APA) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1037/ort0000893 |
| PMID | 41396665 |
| OpenAlex | W4417329106 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
More than half of the states in the United States have implemented laws or policies requiring transgender athletes to participate in athletics aligned with their sex assigned at birth. President Trump signed Executive Order 14201, Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports, on February 5, 2025, expanding these restrictions to recipients of federal education funding. The order also made it official policy to oppose transgender women athletes participating in women's sports "as a matter of safety, fairness, dignity, and truth." Restricting trans adolescents' physical activity may exacerbate health disparities within this marginalized population. Allowing participation in categories aligned with gender identity could alleviate these disparities. The trans athlete debate primarily focuses on testosterone's effects on performance. This article argues against exclusion based on testosterone, emphasizing sex and gender as social constructs and the complexity of determining eligibility in binary gender categories. It reviews racial/ethnic and age changes in the size of the trans population since 2014. It provides foundational knowledge on sex differences in physical performance and reviews testosterone's role in superior male performance. The article critiques research on performance differences between trans and nontrans athletes, highlighting limitations in generalizing findings from adult studies to youth. Health care professionals must advocate for trans athletes by confronting restrictive policies and promoting inclusive sports participation. Policy recommendations are provided to implement these conclusions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)
Athletes · Gender identity · Health care · Identity (music) · Inclusion (mineral) · Population · Transgender · LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy · Sport Psychology and Performance · Sports, Gender, and Society
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |