Two weeks ago, former President Donald Trump attended a rally in Conroe, Texas, where he had made some interesting comments about transgender women playing in women’s sports. In fact, he believes that if he is re-elected in 2024, he is going to ban transgender women from playing nationwide. Now for someone who is all about equality, a much less insensitive comment should have been made. The most respectful thing a person can do towards the LGBTQ+ community, is refer to an individual by the correct pronouns. This, however, was something Trump could not do. A University of Pennsylvania trans swimmer Lia Thomas was criticized by Trump when he misgendered her and falsely stated that she had broken an 11-year-old swimming record. There were more claims about another trans woman that were made by Trump but it is unclear if it is true.
What exactly does this mean for transgender women? The media works to portray the LGBTQ+ community in a positive way, but are more so seen in a negative light. I think Trump’s comments were dehumanizing to the people that have transitioned, because they have obviously done it for their own reasons. They want to feel comfortable with the gender that they identify with. However, I think rules and regulations should be in place for the safety of others. It has been proven that transgender women have a competitive edge when competing in women‘s sports. MMA fighter, Fallon Fox, was the first to come out as transgender in 2014. She had beaten her opponent Tamika Brent so severely to where she had suffered a broken skull. The Florida athletic commission gave Fox the green light, however, other experts were opposed to her being granted a fighting license. It is essential for sports to establish rules for all participating athletes for the sake of their own safety. As for transgender women, I think we will start to see them more in women’s sports.
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