MAKE TRANSGENDER SPORTS COMPETITIONS EQUAL.

THE KUHNS REPORT

LAS  VEGAS - Hello America, and how is the world treating you?

Recently there has been a lot of news media reports of transgender athletes competing against non-gender athletes. Many colleges had female non-gender athletes complaining about competing against a man who claims to be transgender and wins the competition. Their  position is it is unfair because the male athletes biology gives them unfair advantage. Fact is, many women lost scholarships because the male transgender took the prize.

Is it unfair? I tend to think so. All  the media pundits continually argue how to even the playing field but they never, ever have a reasonable solution. Hey sports people and  talking heads---I have one.

Why not let the non-gender people compete against each other AND the transgender people compete against one another, whether transitioning from male to female or vice-versa.  Have gender-same equality. Two separate competitions. All the transgender men and women compete against one another and the non-transgender individuals compete against one another. Each will have their own category.  That would allow all male and females who made the change to the opposite sex to compete against those  who made the same change also. That would allow them to compete equally against one another, for trophies and scholarships, or whatever prize or award they are competing for.

Thus, the men and women that are not transgender can still compete for their scholarships, prizes and awards against their own counterparts without fear of being disadvantaged. These young athlete each put in rigorous and dedicated training, sometimes for years to build their  athletic skills and talents  for an opportunity to win a scholarship or a chance for greatness and all men and women athletes should be able to compete against one another without any disadvantage.

There have been special needs people competing in special Olympics  for years. Why? Because they want to play and compete in sports,but without a disadvantage. And if many of the special Olympics competitors had to compete against those that were not disabled or who was not physically equipped as a full blown, physically fit baseball, football,  track , tennis, etc., , person, they would lose the competition every time.

I submit, fair competition is great competition. And, if a person has to compete in a sport starting with a disadvantage  from the get-go they lose confidence, well-being, and give up trying. That's wrong.

So, I suggest to all sports venues , arenas, schools, colleges and universities, no matter what level of learning the institution, seriously consider separating the transgender athletes into specific and gender-equal categories and that, I think, would settle any disadvantage brought about by biology and physiological  parameters. Fair is fair people. - And, that's my opinion. Make your own decision. You decide.

BRADLEY W. KUHNS, Ph.D., O.M.D.
Dr. Kuhns  can be reached by email at:
bradleykuhns@gmail.com