“Women’s sports are under threat”
Texas banned transgender college students from participating on sports teams Thursday. That do not conform to their biological sex.a measure that especially affects trans women. Republican lawmakers in the U.S. state argue that it will help “save women’s sports.”
The governor, Greg Abbott, who ratified the measure Friday, said during a ceremony to stage the signing that “women’s sports are threatened.”. “Some women are being forced to compete against biological men,” she said in remarks picked up by the network. CNN. The measure will take effect on September 1.
Texas already passed a similar law in 2021 that was aimed at public Elementary and Secondary schools, as several Republican-ruled states seek to restrict trans youth’s access to gender transition treatmentsamong other measures.
According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), a group that advocates for civil rights in the country, nearly 500 laws or bills introduced this year in state Congresses seek to restrict the rights of the LGTBI community.
The Texas rule, known as “Save Women’s Sports,” authorizes the state’s citizens to. sue educational institutions to allow trans people to compete in sports that do not conform to their biological sex.
In April, the Republican-majority U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that would prevent young trans girls from from competing in women’s sports in publicly funded schools and centers across the country. The bill is stalled in the Democratic-majority Senate, and the White House has already warned that, if passed, it will veto it.
Testosterone limits on elite trans athletes.
On the other hand, the Australian Sports Commission recommended this Friday. setting limits on testosterone levels for transgender athletes in elite women’s sports under its new inclusion guidelines.
These guidelines issued by Australia’s leading sporting authority, and which are non-binding as they allow national federations some autonomy, were applauded by some trans athletes.
The government agency’s document suggests that in sports where. hormone suppression is a requirement to participate in the women’s category, the testosterone level, under medical supervision and continuous controls, must not exceed 2.5 nanomoles per liter in the 24 months prior to the competition.
This level, which is within the female range, “scientifically understood for elite athletes, offers a small “safety” cushion for transgender athletes, according to the Guidelines for the inclusion of transgender and gender diverse individuals in high performance sport..
Recommended levels are above 1.7 nanomoles. per liter, which is the level recorded by 95% of people undergoing hormone suppression therapy.
The Commission also clarified that the guidelines on testosterone levels. may vary in sports which are not “explosive,” where they have more freedom to set ranges appropriate to their discipline, although they must make these measures public.
However, the Australian guidelines, in line with those of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), also clarify that they do not rule out the possibility of “certain athletes” be restricted or excluded if they are “clearly” shown to have an “unfair and disproportionate advantage.”
The guidelines also stress that there are. anti-discrimination laws at the regional and national levels, so any decisions taken by the federations must take these legal frameworks into account.
