Decathlon gold medalist Caitlyn Jenner, who came out as trans in 2015 and recently announced her bid to run for California governor, said trans inclusion in sports “isn’t fair” on cisgender athletes, sparking a backlash among many. Amid the wave of anti-trans bills sweeping the US, Jenner told TMZ: “I oppose biological boys who are trans competing in girls’ sports in school…It just isn’t fair. And we have to protect girls’ sports in our schools.”
Many contested Jenner’s comments, with LGBTQ+ activist Charlotte Clymer tweeting: “Medical organisations, feminist organisations, and prominent cis women athletes, including Billie Jean King and Megan Rapinoe, have all spoken out against banning trans girls from sports. There is no evidence this is a problem anywhere. Caitlyn Jenner is dead wrong on this.”
An estimated 30 US states are currently considering anti-trans bills, the majority of which aim to limit young trans people’s access to sports and/or gender-affirming healthcare. Despite the high number of bills targeting trans athletes, a 2021 report from the Centre for American Progress found trans inclusion in school sports poses no threat to cisgender youth, with there being no evidence to “support the claim that allowing transgender athletes to participate will reduce or harm participation in girls’ sports”.