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Section One: The Fundamentals
A) History and Context
Exercise 1: Notebook Prompt
| One thing that stood out to me was the historical exploration of earlier sex-testing practices in sports, showing that the fight against them spanned over the course of 30 years. During this time, journalists, scientists and athletes worked together to challenge and eventually end earlier forms of invasive and dehumanizing tests. This historical context illustrates how these policies and regulations have evolved but also how persistent they still are, with various forms of rules and regulations replacing old ones.
What stands put is the enduring complexity of debate surrounding fairness and gender in sports. While these measures are framed as a way to measure equality, these types of policies typically exacerbate stigma and exclusion for athletes with DSD (Differences of Sexual Development). This particular episode looks at the ongoing struggles to balance inclusivity with competitive fairness, leaving me with various questions about the scientific and ethical foundations for these rules and their impact on athletes’ lives.
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B) Timeline of History
Exercise 2: Notebook Prompt
What other significant case/milestone would you add to this timeline? Note it in your notebook along with a brief (one or two sentences) explanation of why you feel it is important.
| Another significant case or milestone that I would add to this timeline would be the 2011 IOC and Hyperandrogenism regulations (IOC, 2022).
This is when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) introduced new rules on hyperandrogenism, focusing on testosterone levels to determine whether or not female athletes could compete in female competition (IOC, 2012). This highlighted a shift away from chromosomal testing toward biochemical markers, raising questions and concerns about privacy, fairness and the ethics of regulating natural biological traits (IOC, 2012) I think this is important because it shows the evolving complexity of who is able to compete in women’s sports. It also highlights the growing tensions between fairness, inclusion and respect for athletes’ autonomy and privacy.
International Olympic Committee. (2012, June 22). IOC regulations on female hyperandrogenism. https://stillmed.olympic.org/Documents/Commissions_PDFfiles/Medical_commission/2012-06-22-IOC-Regulations-on-Female-Hyperandrogenism-eng.pdf
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C) Gender coding in Sports
Exercise 3: Notebook Prompt
Has the gendering of sport ever been a constraint on your involvement? How?
Or, if not, why do you think this is?
| The gendering of spot has never been a constraint on my involvement. This is because I am a male and compete in male sports.
There is a pattern when it comes to sport. More often that not, men’s sports typically do not have many problems when it pertains to gendering of a sport. This is because for men, there are less limits when it comes to opportunities, stereotypes are not reinforced when it concerns gender, and there are little to no barriers created to push individuals away participating from. In my experience, I find that male sport has more inclusive environments, personal privilege and alignment with traditional gender norms. The problems usually surround doping and unsafe use of medication. It is also less common to see women pushing to compete on the men’s side of sports. Men transitioning and competing in women’s sports is a more common pattern. So, I believe since I was born a male and have competed in the male side of sports all my life, The gendering of sport has neve been a constraint on my involvement in sport, regardless of what sport it may be that I decide to take time to compete in.
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D) How is sport gendered in the popular imagination?
Exercise 4: Padlet/Notebook Prompt
While most sports are in fact unisex, gender coding remains pervasive, particularly at the professional level, although with a foundation established in youth competition. Participate in the poll below to share your views on how popular sports are gendered in the popular imagination. Also feel welcome to add or suggest sports that you feel strongly conform to the gender binary!
After you contribute to the padlet prompt, record your response in your notebook AND briefly discuss in two or three sentences how these responses and the polling figures in general confirm or contradict your assumptions about gender-coding and sports. Did anything surprise you?
| For my responses:
Softball: Female Gymnastics: Female Hockey: Male Volleyball: Neutral Basketball: Male Power Lifting: Neutral Soccer: Neutral Football: Neutral When looking at how others voted in the padlet prompt, most of them were aligned with what I had expected. Sports like softball, gymnastics and volleyball are usually viewed as ‘female’ sports although men participate in those sports as well. But the same could be said for hockey, power lifting and basketball. This may be due to how the media covers each sport. Sports like hockey and basketball receive way more media coverage when it concerns the male aspect. Sports like gymnastics and volleyball receive more media coverage on the women’s side. Sports like soccer are seen as more neutral probably due to the sheer number of people around the world who play and it and follow the sport. To sum it up, none of the majority votes for each sport were surprising and they aligned with what society believes concerning assumptions about gender-coding and sports.
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Section Two: Breaking it down
A) Title IX
Exercise 5: Notebook Prompt
In a longer version of the interview excerpted in the video above, Leah Thomas states “Trans women competing in women’s sports does not threaten women’s sports as a whole because trans women are a very small minority of all athletes and the NCAA rules around trans women competing in women’s sports have been around for 10+ years and we haven’t seen any massive wave of trans women dominating”?
Do you agree with this statement? See also the image above suggesting that the issue may be overblown by politicians and influencers who don’t actually care that much about women’s sports.
Please share any thoughts you have in your Notebook by clicking on the audio button above or writing a few sentences.
| I agree with this statement. Trans athletes make up a small portion of all athletes, so their participation is statistically minimal. This viewpoint is vital when looking at the broader impact on competition and fairness. The NCAA and other governing bodies have established rules for trans women’s participation for over a decade, which usually involves hormone suppression and other various requirements tailored to ensuring fair play. These rules and regulations were created to balance inclusion with competition integrity and have not resulted in a wave of trans women dominating women’s sports.
The image suggesting that the issue is overblown by politicians and influences further shows the politicization of this particular topic. Critics have a habit of amplifying fears concerning fairness or the erasure of women’s accolades without showing proper data to support their statements and claims. Instead, these narratives typically exploit societal anxieties rather than properly advocating for women athletes. If protecting women’s sports was the true goal, efforts would focus more on improving systemic issues like the lack of media coverage, unequal funding and opportunities compared to men’s sports. It is worth wondering if those who amplify fears and concerns about trans women’s participation are as equally vocal about these issues. At the end of the day, fairness and inclusion are not mutually exclusive. With open dialogue and well thought out policies, women’s sports can continue to be competitive all while embracing diversity and providing opportunity for all athletes.
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B) Unfair Advantage?
Exercise 6: Notebook Prompt
What does the host and writer, Rose Eveleth, have to say on the issue of unfair advantage?
Can you think of other examples of unique biological or circumstantial advantages from which athletes have benefitted enormously that have nothing to do with gender?
| Host and writer Rose Eveleth looks into the concept of ‘unfair advantage’ in episode 3 of Tested. She analyzes the underlying assumptions of DSD policies, questioning if they are truly about fairness or if they just served to pick and choose who is allowed to excel in women’s sports. Eveleth said sports inherently reward physical advantages, which can vary widely among different people. Yet, athletes like Maximila Imali and Christine Mboma were faced with scrutiny because of skewed views on gender and biology. Eveleth suggests that labelling certain advantages as ‘unfair’ while disregarding others highlight deeper biases and a selective application of fairness.
Besides gender, there are many other examples of athletes benefitting form unique circumstantial or biological advantages. Michael Phelps has unusually long arms, a massive wingspan and the ability to produce less lactic acid than the average person, making him uniquely suited for swimming. Ultra marathon runner Kilian Jornet excels at high altitudes due to a genetic adaptation that allows his body to process oxygen more efficiently, which is an advantage amplified by his upbringing in the Pyrenees. Circumstantial advantages or benefits also play a role. Venus and Serena Williams had access to top class coaching from their father early in life, plus an extremely supportive environment allowed them to achieve great things in their careers. These examples further prove Eveleth’s point. Advantages in sports are both unavoidable and multifaceted. Singling out gender related traits as uniquely unfair reveals bias rather than actually addressing the true complexity of athletic success.
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Again, let’s turn to Katie Barnes who points out that we tend to forget amidst all the debate that “sports, by design, are not fair” (235), that “the reality of sports is that we accept unfairness all the time” (235).
Do you agree? Why? In your experience, how fair are sports? Feel welcome to add a video response in the padlet and provide an example if you’re willing. Make sure you include a screenshot of your response in your notebook.
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In favour: Sports, by design, are not fair I agree with the idea that sports are inherently unfair by design, particularly at the pro or elite level (s). Sports typically celebrate exceptionalism, and success in elite competition often banks on circumstances or innate traits that are beyond an athlete’s control. This includes genetic advantages, access to top-tier training resources or even an athlete’s place of birth. For example, distance runners from East African nations like Ethiopia and Kenya benefit from environmental factors and predispositions like training at high altitudes that increase endurance. In my experience, fairness in sports can be seen as more of an ideal than an actual reality. Youth and Recreational sports try to level the playing field by separating by age divisions and equipment standards, but even then, disparities still persist. In elite sports, the structure revolves around identifying and rewarding the best of the best, typically amplifying natural inequalities. While these policies and rules exist to maintain fairness in specific contexts (e.g. anti-doping regulations), they are unable to account for a plethora of other advantages- socioeconomic, biological or geographical that shape athletic performance. To Sum up, fairness in sports in selective and subjective. It is impossible to achieve total equality in sports, so I believe the focus should be on creating opportunities for participation and showing respect for the different paths athletes take to achieve success.
My response to a comment: I could not agree more with your comments. Sports by design, are most definitely not fair. There are a number of factors that contribute to this. Your examples about someone being tall having an advantage over someone who is short is a great shout. But vice versa could also be true. In sports like basketball, being tall allows for a significant advantage over others. But in soccer, being on the shorter side could be seen as an advantage. Lower center of gravity, easier to run with the ball at your feet, etc. I also agree that it is unfair to call out Leah Thomas for her ‘advantage’. Every athlete has traits, characteristics or circumstances that can create an advantage over another athlete. |
B) The Paris Olympics
Optional Response:
What does Robins mean when she argues that:
“The aims of transvestigating an Olympic athlete are not, in any meaningful sense, anything to do with sports, or fairness, or even with women (cis women, at least) as a social category. Rather, they have everything to do with transness, and the public expression of transfemininity.
For my money this has never been about sport.
What it has always been is an excuse to publicly relitigate the existence of trans women.”
Make a note in your Notebook.
| Robins is arguing that the investigation of athletes under the guise of ensuring ‘fairness’ in sports typically go beyond sport and looks more into a more broad view of trans women societal existence. She argues that the ‘transvestigation’ of athletes, especially those who do not conform to stereotypical characteristics of femininity, is not actually about ensuring fair competition or protecting cisgender women in sport. Instead, the actions taken are rooted more in discrimination and discomfort with transness and trans femininity.
Robins suggests that by framing this issue as one of fairness in sports, it provides a socially acceptable veil to invalidate and question the legitimacy and existence of trans women. She sees these actions as a form of public debate over the recognition and rights of trans women, rather than an authentic effort to regulate sports, This argument is just another way that shows how societal biases can distort and infiltrate policies that are meant to ensure equity, turning them into tools for marginalization and exclusion. For Robins, the heart of the issue is not fairness or athletic performance, but the broader political and cultural resistance to inclusion of trans women in society, which is being litigated through the very clear visible arena of elite sports.
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