Caitlyn Jenner Sparks Controversy Coming Out In Support Of Banning Transgender Girls From Girl Sports
Caitlyn Jenner has made her first big political stance as a gubernatorial hopeful in the subject of transgender athletes, and it is a surprising one at that. According to her, if someone is born as a biological boy, they should not be allowed to compete in girls' sports.
Jenner herself is a trans woman and a former Olympic gold medalist, making her stance all the more interesting. Her statement comes at a time when she is running in California's gubernatorial recall to replace governor Gavin Newsom.
Trans People In Sports Is A Hot Topic In Legislation
As of now, upwards of 34 states are weighing legislation that would ban trans athletes from entering sports based on their gender identity. Florida, West Virginia, Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Mississippi have already turned said bills into laws. South Dakota's governor has also issued an executive order.
NEW - Caitlyn Jenner: Trans girls shouldn't compete in female sports.pic.twitter.com/0AJjH42YFW — Disclose.tv 🚨 (@disclosetv) May 1, 2021
The reality star was caught in an impromptu street interview on May 1, 2021, where she was asked to give her say on the issue, and she was unhesitantly for the ban. The interaction is on-tape and Disclose.TV has since posted it on Twitter.
“This is a question of fairness,” the 71-year-old socialite said. “That’s why I oppose biological boys who are trans competing in girls spotrs in school. It just isn’t fair. And we have to protect girls sports in our schools.”
The interviewer was posing a follow-up question on her statement, but the video was cut short.
Naturally, her statement was hugely controversial considering the amount of attention on the topic currently, even more so because her opinion is in stark contrast to Newsom's.
Is It Really An Unfair Advantage?
According to research cited by TMZ, some argue that trans girls would naturally perform better than their cisgender sisters from an athletic point of view because of higher testosterone levels. There is scientific evidence that claims that the hypothesis might not be entirely true.
On the one hand, there are several instances where trans women performed better than their cisgender counterparts, especially running. Although, it can not be said beyond a doubt that testosterone is the sole reason for that.
On the other hand, trans girls who have undergone hormone therapy perform somewhat similar to biological females across sports. So by that count, things roughly equal out.
What's more, most athletic organizations mandate hormone therapy for their trans athletes. Also, there is a case to be made that trans women are not always better than cisgender females.
I didn’t expect to get asked this on my Saturday morning coffee run, but I’m clear about where I stand. It’s an issue of fairness and we need to protect girls’ sports in our schools.https://t.co/YODLDQ3csP — Caitlyn Jenner (@Caitlyn_Jenner) May 1, 2021
So, it all boils down to taking sides, and Jenner has made hers clear. Even after the video made its way to a TMZ article and tweet, the socialite reposted the TMZ writeup reinstating her words on the matter. She was adamant that her decision was so that girls' sports be protected in schools.
Apart from this particular issue, Jenner has been rather evasive when it comes to disclosing her political agenda in detail.
As of now, her promises for the California state governor's race include cutting taxes, repairing the economy, and providing balance in a state where the Democratic Party dominates politics.