Talk about a slippery slope! Senators have passed a bill that is regulating something that isn’t a problem with no knowledge of child mental health issues around it. They have not listened to experts in the field. I should be surprised, and I wish I was.
They say this is about fairness, but I see nothing fair in it, and they are hurting, not helping children.
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I have to agree with their decision. The biological differences between teenage boys & girls are a reality and, if ignored, would put male athletes, who identify as females, in an unfair advantage over female counterparts, leading to the end of women’s sport.
The XX athlete who seriously trains for years should not have their work negated by an XY athlete. The XX athlete has mental health needs as well. There are times in life when we simply can’t have it both ways. I support the legislation AND the inclusion of the LBGTQ community, Neither should expect the right to infringe upon the rights of the other.
Hi again! This is Ann, and I never expected that everyone would agree with me. That’s the whole point of a discussion around the topic, so thank you for chiming in! What I’d say is that the point of team sports in middle and high school (which this legislation is about) is to help kids learn sports and teamwork. These are not elite athletes, they are kids wanting to be included in the activities of their peers. The State legislature should stay out if it.
I appreciate the discussion on this and the various views being stated. I would have to agree with those who are pointing out the distinct physical differences between males and females. The majority of high school athletes are looking for college scholarships. Additionally, in order to be a top high school athlete who qualifies for college scholarships, the training and competition begin in middle school. Sports at the pre-elementary and elementary stages are absolutely about learning the sport and teamwork. However, middle and high school sports are a whole new ballgame these days. Competition needs to remain fair, lest biological young women lose their opportunity to succeed in their sport.
You all make good points…. and I understand the concern. Maybe what I’m so concerned about is that this issue is being decided by the State Legislature, rather than by experts in physical/mental health and education. I worry about people not educated in a topic making the rules.
What do you think?
I highly encourage folks to check out Schuyler Benson, a trans male professional swimmer. His journey through getting equal treatment in his sport is noteworthy when we think about how we categorize male and female athletes.
I worry about that too, Ann. Folks not educated in what they’re legislating feels a lot like cisgender men legislating reproductive systems of women and folks assigned female at birth.
Anyone know anyone working to put a stop to this bill? If so I’d love to help.
Thank you for adding to the discussion, Laura! We’re all trying to educate ourselves on the issues and all resources are welcome. I will check out Schuyler…. I personally don’t know anyone to refer you to, but I suspect you can pretty easily find people to join here in Tennessee.
Good morning. It is my hope that all is well with you and yours. First of all, let me apologize for being so late into the discussion and secondly this is a fragile issue across the board. One of the things I will agree with is that the State and Federal Government should be the second or third entity to get involved in issues related to the rights of communities that continue to be oppressed. To me, it’s just a back door approach to further decide how a person identifies and experiences their gender. Further more, are we not tired of the state and federal government dismissing our profession by assuming they know what’s best for addressing mental health and substance use issues? Please forgive me if I sound a bit harsh but as a transgender male, I feel it and experience it on a daily basis although it’s less scary the further into my transition. That’s not the case with transgender women. It’s important to understand exactly what an individual goes through simply because they want to live and express their inner most selves. Working with transgender, non-binary, and queer communities, I see first hand the struggles young individuals experience, as I am sure many of you do as well. This comment is not a judgment nor am I trying to state what is already evident, just throwing my two cents in. Thank you for listening.
I’d say you were right on time, Tristan, and would have been whenever you chose to comment. Thank you so much for adding to the discussion and to all of our understanding.
Your point of view is important, and we’re listening…..
Those who have expressed their support of this bill seem to, at least in their posts, present a poor understanding of gender and biological sex, chromosomes, hormones, and transgender issues. I recognize this kind of argument because before I educated myself on these issues, I probably would have posted something similar. Books like Becoming Nicole by Amy Ellis Nutt provided me with the real stories and accurate information to help me understand the matters of gender and sex that I had always taken for granted. (There’s a particularly helpful chapter called “The X’s and Y’s of Sex” that should be required reading for counselors.)
As I continue to educate myself on these issues, I have learned that even in high school, some “XX” athletes have higher testosterone than their “XY” classmates. For example, Serena Williams’ testosterone might be higher than your average cisgender man’s, but we don’t expect her to switch to men’s tennis.
A lot of the current anti-trans legislation relies on bogeyman scenarios, like some of the ones presented in this discussion. Rather than worrying about hypothetical situations in which transgender athletes beat out cisgender athletes for college scholarships, we as counselors should focus on the very real issues that transgender athletes face. Do they feel isolated? Do they feel scrutinized? How might you serve a client like that? How might you improve their lives? This is our professional realm and our duty.
As counselors, we are bound by professional ethics related to these topics. Seek them out! You don’t have to reinvent the wheel, either; groups such as the ACA and SAIGE outline the ethics you must uphold as a counselor. You can learn to best serve the people affected by this bill if you seek it out. This competence is your professional obligation.
I am saddened to read that some of my colleagues support this bill. I am angered by the clear transphobia in some of the comments within this professional forum. My conscience requires me to point out that, for example, Sabine’s description of “male athletes who identify as females” is a transphobic one. Male athletes do not identify as females; female athletes do.
This bill might be the the first time you have considered trans inclusivity in sports. I encourage anyone reading this—particularly those who support this bill, which Tennessee lawmakers passed on March 22—to continue learning about this issue in particular and issues of gender and sex in general. In our profession, we are encouraged to approach clients from a “not-knowing” perspective with curiosity and openness. For the sake of our young people’s wellbeing, I ask you to approach this issue with that same mindset.
Your profession—and, more importantly, the clients whose lives you alter—depend on it.
I want to thank you, Nicholas, for your post. I think many of us have a poor understanding of these issues…and you have helped to educate us. There is so much to learn, and there are often no classes to instruct us, so we fall on old ideas or belief systems we had before we became Counselors. I believe that taking part in a forum such as this one helps us all to look with “new eyes” at current issues. Thank you all for having the courage to step out and participate in the discussion.