The War on Sports: Transphobic Corruption
By Andre Manzo
Graphic by Amanda Abt
Right-Wing obsession with transgender athletes continues to hurt the athletic landscape for political and ideological gain.
Politics have always been a part of sports. That is undeniable. From the Cleveland Summit to the “Battle of the Sexes”, humanity continues to dictate the games with personal values.
Currently, the obsession with transgender women in sports exists as fuel for hate spewed by right wing media. With the wide acceptance of homosexuality in all aspects of society, American conservatives have redirected their hate to the transgender community.
National news has highlighted the doxing of minors participating in sports. Maine Republican Rep. Laura Libby platformed harassment by outing a transgender high school athlete in Feb. 2025. This followed a Maine bill proposal that would give individuals protections against online doxing – supported heavily by the parents of transgender children.
“We can disagree about policy, but we should not use children as targets or political pawns,” said Democratic Rep. Melanie Sachs, who sponsored the bill.
Republicans opposed the bill, implying that doxing children is protected by free speech. Their defense was the lack of evidence against violating Facebook’s community guidelines. The fact that the House of Representatives' rules and code of ethics does not address social media use was also cited.
Clearly there is a gap in perspective on how to properly protect children, considering that conservatism should regard transgender children at the same value of life.
The fear mongering surrounding men hypothetically participating and dominating the competition of women’s sports under the guise of transgender identity is ridiculous. It is important to note that as the level of competition increases, so do the rules and regulations. The participation of transgender athletes in large-scale professional competitions is minimal, with such little cases to perform widespread research on negative effects.
Inevitably, the debates over biological belonging and identity will always be present. However, the existence of genetic variation in sports has always existed. Yet, it is only ever downplayed when transphobia can be spread.
For context, the main issue derives from testosterone levels possibly giving transgender women an unfair advantage in competition. Again, the proof backing this belief is minimal. Even then, major sports organizations like World Athletics have implemented testosterone level caps for transgender women looking to participate.
Yet, the war with no enemy rages on, all the while genetic variation and anomalies of the human body dominate the athletic landscape at the highest levels.
Michael Phelps, celebrated for being the world’s most decorated Olympian and men’s swimmer, has been subject to debate about his lactic acid production. While his lack of lactic acid production is vaguely researched but widely accepted, his accomplishments are still praised. The possibility of this genetic advantage does not constitute unfairness – it makes him an idolized outlier.
Other genetic advantages have never created narratives about unfairness in sports.
A more concrete example is Minnesota Vikings' star receiver Justin Jefferson’s eye speed test results. S2 Cognition tracking confirms his competitive advantage over similar test subjects through the ability to switch eye dominance.
In a larger sample size, Sports Illustrated finds that the average NBA player is 6’7”. This is much greater than the average male height of 5 feet 9 inches. Basketball is perhaps the sport that is most gatekept by genetic makeup. However, nobody targets the miniscule percentage of high school athletes that are genetically gifted to make it to the professional level, despite being major outliers in their youth.
That is because genetics are not everything. They are the foundation that athletes build upon, but it should not discredit everything they have had to earn. It is willingly ignorant to draw the line at testosterone, when even those variations still exist between men.
Still, the perspective shifts when Caster Semenya’s accomplishments are considered. A gold medalist in women’s middle-distance running, she is scrutinized for her difference in sex development (DSD) condition. Although always identifying herself as a woman, her increased levels of testosterone led to a seven-year legal battle regarding unfairness in competition – undermining the physical and mental commitments that follow all professional athletes.
Imane Khelif, a gold medal Algerian boxer, has received backlash from millions over misinformation about her genetic makeup. Besides judgements made on physical appearance, the scrutiny is baseless.
San Jose State University has had their women’s volleyball program uprooted because of the presence of a transgender athlete. However, this controversy did not begin until a Reduxx article outed her gender identity through pure speculation. Up to that point, she had competed with no issues for three years – never being named to an All-American team. Now, in what would be her senior year of competition, Blaire Fleming resides at home completing the rest of her courses online.
Fleming told the New York Times that she "felt suicidal" following the backlash she received.
Transphobia is the root of this issue. Her entire team saw Fleming her as a woman, until she was not. Not only was her right to compete stripped, but so was her privacy. Transgender athletes have targets on their backs the moment they are outed.
Nobody cares for genetic fairness in competition. Instead, people care to justify transphobia. This ideology continues to corrupt the landscape of sports, that since their inception have uplifted the variations of humanity.
Serious consequences of mental health follow societal discrimination. Lia Smith, a collegiate diver, took her own life following harassment on social media, and from her appearance on a website titled "HeCheated," dedicated to outing and bashing transgender athletes.
It should not be forgotten that women with high testosterone are still women. Transgender athletes are still athletes. They are still the gender they choose to identify with. Trans athletes are still human – deserving of value, respect and recognition. They should not have to hide in the shadows. The war against transphobia is the only war to be fought.
The Williams Institute, ESPN, The Athletic, Harvard Health, and the Associated Press were all present in sourcing this article.