A recent landmark Supreme Court decision against transgender athletes within the United States is just another blow to a community that has been increasingly under fire by the Trump administration and the Republican community at large.
Like with issues revolving around bathrooms or even prisons, forcing transgender people out of areas that they identify only harms them. Singling out trans athletes from groups that they identify with will only hamper their health. Sports are often a great way to participate within society, build relationships, and develop self-esteem. Within a minority group that already struggles with rampant elevated mental health risks, further alienation from government measures like this will only increase the chances of the depression and suicidal rates within this community spiking.
These measures of policing transgender communities have the unfortunate effect of hurting communities outside of them.
For instance, since the rhetoric against trans women has ramped up, there have been more instances of women who identify as their biological sex being misidentified as transgender and harassed. This is mainly due to the fact that not every woman dresses as what one would consider conventionally feminine.
Some women have naturally deeper voices, masculine facial features, and more. Additionally, oftentimes women from certain racial groups that have the inaccurate perception of being more masculine than others have been harassed more than their white counterparts.
Transgender athletes deserve a space to participate in activities like sports and be accepted for who they are. Overly corrective measures like these not only add to the hatred and distrust much of the general public has towards people within the LGBTQ community.
