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A protest in Washington on Thursday brought together left-wing feminists, such as former presidential hopeful Tulsi Gabbard, and conservative activists against the inclusion of transgender athletes in women’s sports competitions.
The protesters argued that it is unfair for women to lose access to scholarships and sporting opportunities because they are pitted against trans people, who have greater physical aptitudes because they were born “with male bodies.”
A few meters away, outside the tent where the event was taking place, a small group of counter-demonstrators made noise with pans and drums, and waved flags in defense of the trans community.
Most of the participants were young girls who had lost sports competitions after battling trans women, such as swimmer Riley Gaines, who tied with Lia Thomas for the fifth place during a recent college competition but was asked to pose with the sixth-place medal.
Trans supremacy in women’s sports
Gaines told EFE news agency that while it is true that at the moment the number of trans women participating in women’s sports competitions is very small, it is only a matter of time before where there is now one, there will soon be three.
Another participant, skateboarder Taylor Silverman, came second in a Red Bull tournament to a trans competitor, Lillian Gallagher.
Silverman argued that it should not be the athletes themselves who should be forced to provide alternatives to the unfairness of women with different physical abilities participating in women’s competitions.
Still, the skater believes that the creation of a separate category for trans people, if there are enough athletes, could be a good solution.
