President Donald Trump’s executive order titled “Keeping Men out of Women’s Sports” was signed on Feb. 5, in hopes of creating a safe and fair athletic environment for women and girls to compete in. The order bans people born as biological males from competing in women’s sports. Besides a relatively insensitive way of executing this order, it protects biological females from underrepresentation and, more importantly, injustice. Opportunities for women are still very limited in modern-day society, and with competition increasing even more with the high standards transgender athletes set, biological females no longer have a safe space to compete equally. Nevertheless, with this controversial topic, the elephant in the room always makes an appearance: should athletics be separated by biological sex or by how one identifies?

Males who have gone through puberty outperform females by 10%-30% in many physical capacities: speed, strength, and sex hormones. Males have greater bone density and bone marrow concentration than females. Women’s muscle strength is also reported in the range of 40 to 75% of that of men, making them less powerful than equally trained men. There is no denying that biological men are physically stronger than biological women. These aspects distinctly affect an athlete’s performance and give biological males physical advantages to excel.

Looking at these statistics, it’s essential to ask if implementing these physical advantages against biological women should still be considered equality. The answer is no. Women’s sports are already significantly undervalued by Fortune 500 companies, with only 33 companies having team sponsorship deals with the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), and Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL).

The lack of deals further feeds into lower visibility and media coverage in women’s sports. Female athletes stay underrepresented. With this in mind, it’s even tougher, but incredibly rewarding, for female athletes to gain recognition, sponsorships, and opportunities beyond the sport whether it’s a professional, college student, or high school student. These numerous benefits are awarded to top athletes who work hard to excel in their sport. Because of a biological advantage, transgender women are able to easily break records set by cis women, and dominate the competition.

This sparks debate about the validity of these achievements, and if it’s stripping cis women from potential opportunities.

A prime example is Lia Thomas, a transgender swimmer who won the NCAA swimming championship by a whole 1.75 seconds. The questionable part of this situation is the significant differences in Thomas’ men’s versus women’s division rankings. By the end of her season at UPenn in 2022, her rank moved from 65th on the men’s team to first on the women’s team in 500-yard freestyle. Additionally, her rank moved from 554th on the men’s team to fifth on the women’s team in the 200-yard freestyle. There’s no hiding the biological advantages of testosterone, despite being on hormone therapy (HRT). The dramatic improvement in Thomas’ career success speaks volumes of the unfair competitive edge trans women might have in competitive sports. In instances like these, transgender women are able to outperform cisgender women. This overshadows the hard work and accomplishments of those born female.

Yes, there is currently a small number of publicly identifying trans athletes, but all it takes is one person to dominate. That win could change the trajectory of a female athlete’s already marginalized career, which is why allowing someone to compete in the women’s sports divisions based on their gender identity can defeat the purpose of women’s sports. Just one person can transform the standard of women’s sports records that only someone with the natural advantages of a male could set. The idea of equality fogs up in these circumstances. The protection of women’s athletic rights is turning into an ethical dilemma.

Transgender rights are undoubtedly valuable. Trump’s ban lacks considerations of hormone guidelines such as whether the athlete has met specific criteria of testosterone levels, whether they have gone through hormone replacement therapy or the magnitude of those who have gone through male puberty. They too deserve to pursue sports while still keeping their gender identities. The extremities can be brought down to a compromise, such as creating a new and separate division for transgender athletes. Concerns about physical advantages would die down and emphasize the inclusion of these athletes.

Inclusivity for transgender athletes is essential, but it’s crucial to acknowledge that these advantages undermine the hard-earned progress and opportunities for cisgender women in sports. The ethical dilemma mentioned earlier lies in balancing the rights of transgender athletes with equal representation for biological women, especially in already underrepresented sports. This issue is no longer just about inclusion, but about preserving the purpose of women’s sports: a fair and level playing field.

(Illustration made using Canva elements: Male Toilet Sign by Clker-Free-Vector-Images, Stick Woman Icon by Clker-Free-Vector-Images, Transgender Flag Illustration by katlove and Illustration of a Balanced Scale by irasutoya)