The controversy surrounding transgender athletes competing against cisgender women has been reignited with the recent success of American swimmer Lia Thomas at the NCAA Championships. Thomas, who is currently transitioning from male to female, made history as the first transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I title after three years of competing against men. This achievement has prompted various international federations and national governing bodies to review their transgender policies in accordance with guidance issued by the International Olympic Committee and Sport England.
Here is the current state of transgender policies in some sports:
1. Football: FIFA’s “gender verification” regulations, implemented in 2011, do not mention trans women specifically. However, these regulations have been under review since late 2020. In English football, a trans woman must have blood testosterone levels within the female range for a significant period to minimize potential advantages. The specific range is not specified by the Football Association.
2. Rugby union: Last year, rugby became the first sport to prohibit trans women from playing at the elite women’s level due to the physical advantages conferred by testosterone during puberty and adolescence, which could pose welfare risks. The Rugby Football Union is reviewing its policy for grassroots rugby, allowing trans women to participate if they have lowered their testosterone levels to 5nmol/L for a year. In 2019, a Welsh transgender player’s teammate made a joking comment about her strength on the field.
3. Cricket: Current rules in England allow anyone who identifies as female to play in domestic women’s competitions without restrictions. However, these rules are currently under review. This could potentially affect players like Maxine Blythin, who made her debut for Kent in 2019 and was the leading run-scorer in the Women’s Twenty20 Cup that year. To compete internationally, a trans woman must have reduced testosterone levels to 10nmol/L for a year.
4. Tennis: Trans women in tennis have a history with Renee Richards, who successfully fought to be allowed to play professionally in the 1970s. However, the current rules regarding trans women in tennis are messy. The International Tennis Federation and the four grand slams have set a limit of 5nmol/L for testosterone levels. However, the Women’s Tennis Association rules double that figure.
5. Golf: In 2010, the LPGA voted to remove the requirement that players be “female at birth” and allowed transgender athletes to compete. The LPGA does not have publicly available rules specifically governing the participation of trans athletes. The International Golf Federation follows the guidelines set by the IOC, while England Golf suggests testosterone limits should be between 0-3nmol/L.
6. Athletics: Athletics was one of the first sports to impose a 5nmol/L testosterone limit for trans women athletes. Cece Telfer, an American hurdler, faced difficulties when she was prevented from competing at the US Olympic trials before the Tokyo Games due to these rules. World Athletics has faced opposition over similar rules for athletes with differences of sexual development, which currently only apply to track events between 400 meters and a mile following a legal challenge.
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