Transgender athletes

However, his piece contains three errors.

He asserts transgender (biologic males) are the most “marginalized” of students. On the athletic field, I suspect smaller, or disabled students are the “most marginalized.” Lia Thomas, certainly is not a ‘marginalized” athlete who, in a year following lackluster competition against males, triumphed over females.

Steve’s letter presumes “transgTransgender athletes

Editor,

Steve Sell, the head football coach at Aragon High School, had a guest perspective June 2 about respecting participation of transgender athletes in high school sports. Many of Steve’s comments are correct: we provide for that participation in California’s laws, and adults should not be “attacking (transgender) kids.”

However, his piece contains three errors.

He asserts transgender (biologic males) are the most “marginalized” of students. On the athletic field, I suspect smaller, or disabled students are the “most marginalized.” Lia Thomas, certainly is not a ‘marginalized” athlete who, in a year following lackluster competition against males, triumphed over females.

Steve’s letter presumes “transgender” students are “born that way;” but we are short of evidence of that. The existence of male transgender students has skyrocketed in the era of vast public “recognition” of this phenomenon. It seems likely many transgender athletes’ existence is in part response to a publicized fad.

But more important, Mr. Sell assumes parents objecting to biological males in female sports are “attacking the transgender kids.” That’s incorrect.

Parents want their daughters to compete on a fair basis. This is neither “hate” speech, nor vilifying a “marginalized” cohort, but recognition that biologic males competing as females are taking unfair advantage of their superior strength and speed against a weaker cohort. 

When society allows that unfairness, even transgender kids who benefit sense that their victories are unjust. For the girls losing, it reinforces the view that we live in an unfairly male-dominated society.

John Goodrich

San Luis Obispo

ender” students are “born that way;” but we are short of evidence of that. The existence of male transgender students has skyrocketed in the era of vast public “recognition” of this phenomenon. It seems likely many transgender athletes’ existence is in part response to a publicized fad.

But more important, Mr. Sell assumes parents objecting to biological males in female sports are “attacking the transgender kids.” That’s incorrect.

Parents want their daughters to compete on a fair basis. This is neither “hate” speech, nor vilifying a “marginalized” cohort, but recognition that biologic males competing as females are taking unfair advantage of their superior strength and speed against a weaker cohort. 

When society allows that unfairness, even transgender kids who benefit sense that their victories are unjust. For the girls losing, it reinforces the view that we live in an unfairly male-dominated society.

John Goodrich

San Luis Obispo