Initial Male Transgender Athletes, Speech Example

Why Initial Male Transgender Athletes Should Be Allowed to Engage in Women’s Sports

It is inevitably clear that transgender inclusion and exclusion in sporting activities is among the most controversial topics in contemporary social settings (Genel, 12). Reason being that the topic has attracted a lot of attention from a global perspective, calling for debatable discussions on the issue of inclusiveness which is instrumental in every social activity, let alone sports (Genel, 12). Ideally, transgender athletes who were initially male deserve a chance to compete in women’s sports (Genel, 12). It is not logical to deny them to engage in sporting activities particularly when they have clearly passed the minimum threshold requirements (Genel, 12). Maria Toorpakai affirmed that, “It has to be possible to do it. Transgender people should have access to sports. Sports should be accessible to everyone.”  Her assertion advocates for equality and human rights for all and sundry, including the transgender (Genel, 12). For this reason, I stand before you today to make it known to you that the initially male transgender athletes should still be allowed to compete in women’s sports as long as they legally recognize and own their newly assigned gender, take hormonal treatment, and also due to the accompanying inclusivity benefits (Genel, 12).

Self-recognition is vital as it translates to self-acceptance. One has to have adequate knowledge about their transgender condition before they accept themselves for who they are Only then will they have the courage to participate in activities deemed right for them. Take an example of a female transgender person who accepts her male assigned gender (Genel, 12). She will tend to often hang around her male friends, do male stuff and dress up in male presenting clothes (Genel, 12). This example explains how important it is for the initially male transgender athletes to accept their new ‘female’ gender before engaging in the associated sports. Acceptance gives them the oomph to participate with vigor and vitality and hence very impactful (Genel, 12). Myron supports this by asserting, “These athletes would have to demonstrate that legal recognition of their reassigned sex identity has been received in the appropriate jurisdiction.” Following this acceptance and legal recognition of the new gender, one should not be denied a chance to engage in accompanying activities and responsibilities fully (Genel, 12). Each title has a string of responsibilities, and thus the hitherto ‘female’ gendered individuals should be allowed to claim the ‘feminine’ responsibilities in sports freely. (Genel, 12).

The initial transgendered males should as well be allowed to compete in female sports as long as they follow medical procedures (Adam, 382). Medical procedures such as hormonal treatment make up another threshold that the initial transgender athletes have to meet before participating in sporting activities meant for the feminine gender (Adam, 382). They need to take these prescribed medical procedures to incline their appearance towards the gender in question (Adam, 382). In this case, their general body appearance will be more of the desired gender and thus increase their chances of passing the minimum threshold (Adam, 382). Tanimoto and Miwa attest to this by saying, “generally, with hormone treatment, transgender individuals are more likely to pass as their self-identified gender in their appearance (Genel, 12). It can be said the more the transgender athletes pass as their self-identified gender, the more likely they are to be accepted in sports” (466). Take an example of a clown. To effectively perform a feminine role on stage, the choice of costume has to correctly match with the same regardless of the gender of the clown (Adam, 382). It would not be surprising to find a male in feminine clothing in the setting (Genel, 12). The same concept applies in this context. For the initial male transgender athletes to be accepted in the feminine teams, they must convince the recruiters they suit there (Adam, 382). For this reason, they need exhaust all possible strategies that will alter their appearance and make them appear more feminine (Adam, 382). Therefore, hormone treatment, in this case, is very crucial as it serves precisely that (Adam, 382). However, it is worth noting that appearance is not limited to physical appearance alone and applies to the behavior (Genel, 12). One’s posture reveals a lot about their gender. Posture communicates louder than physical appearance (Adam, 382). Therefore, the more one passes the inner test of carrying themselves around as the females, the higher their chances of participating in feminine sports (Adam, 382). In this case, one can deduce that passing the test must begin with the mindset before even considering the physical alterations (Adam, 382).

That notwithstanding, the initial transgender group of athletes should be allowed to join the women’s sports due to the need to enjoy the benefits of social and societal inclusivity and the associated policies (Adam, 382). Who does not love the beauty prevalent in an inclusive social setting, be it a school, an organization, or even an entire society at large? (Adam, 382) The beauty where everyone has an opportunity to showcase their giftings and to express their viewpoints and ideas to others without any fears or limitations (Adam, 382). The same kind of beauty is visible in the sports industry (Genel, 12). There is beauty in equality as far as showcasing talents is concerned (Adam, 382). It comes with inclusivity by eliminating all forms of disparities that dominate sports organizations, ranging from racial to gender imbalance (Adam, 382). By embracing trans-inclusivity in the sports teams, it will go a long way in supporting the transgender individuals who will benefit from growing their talent and thus benefiting society at large (Adam, 382). There is no better opportunity than an opportunity to attain growth in one’s gifting (Tanimoto, 14). Take an example of a situation where a person is constantly discouraged or limited from engaging in areas of specialization they know best (Tanimoto, 14). Their talents tend to remain stale due to under-exploitation, which eventually deprives people of their happiness, the ultimate goal in life (Tanimoto, 16). The situation is even worse when others have the opportunity to grow their talents while others are still limited due to societal disparities (Tanimoto, 16). For instance, it will not be just to the transgender individuals when they are denied the opportunity to engage in their desired teams while their counterparts actively and happily push their sports talents to greater heights (Tanimoto, 16). The affected group will feel disadvantaged and disowned, which will make them lose some sense of belonging to the society in question (Tanimoto, 19). Therefore, this inclusivity is very beneficial to society as it crowns the ‘welcoming’ aesthetic appeal, making everyone feel valued (Tanimoto, 19). There will be increased freedom of interactions among the transgender and cisgender athletes, eliminating existing barriers between them (Tanimoto, 19).

Conclusively, recent male transgender athletes deserve the opportunity to engage in women’s sports because they recognize the new feminine gender on legal terms and take the necessary health procedures (Genel, 12). Moreover, the accompanying benefits also support the need to allow them to participate in the same (Tanimoto, 19). With their recognition intact and the necessary procedures well attended to, they deserve the golden opportunity to actively take their talents further as it is with their feminine counterparts (Tanimoto, 19). With this chance awarded to them, the society will be more welcoming through embracing inclusivity, hence becoming a better place for all and sundry (Genel, 12). No one should feel limited in any way as everyone has a right to equality (Tanimoto, 19).

References

Genel, Myron. “Transgender athletes: how can they be accommodated?” Current sports medicine reports 16.1 (2017): 12-13. https://journals.lww.com/acsm-csmr/fulltext/2017/01000/transgender_athletes__how_can_they_be.7.aspx

Love, Adam. “Transgender exclusion and inclusion in sport.” Routledge handbook of sport, gender, and sexuality (2014): 376-383. https://www.academia.edu/download/33548797/Love_(2014)_-_Transgender_in_sport.pdf

Chikako Tanimoto, and Koji Miwa. “Factors influencing acceptance of transgender athletes.” Sport Management Review (2021): 1-23. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14413523.2021.1880771