40 year-old Laurel Hubbard is the female transgender weightlifter representing New Zealand in this year’s Commonwealth Games – however, her appearance in the games has sparked a vehement debate around a significantly controversial topic. The question must be raised – when Hubbard can transition from an average male weightlifter, to achieving a gold medal in this year’s Commonwealth as a female, is involving transgenders in sport a disadvantage to other athletes?
Transgenders have an advantage in sport.
The weightlifter went through most of her life as Gavin Hubbard, before transitioning to become who she is now during her early thirties. This information highlights the potential advantage that Hubbard could face, as since she transitioned later in life, she would have gained the physiological attributes ( larger muscle mass, bone structure, etc.) of being a male that could provide her an advantage in her sport.
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Alison Heather, a physiology professor at Otago University who has observed transgender differences in sport, believes that males transitioning to females, could retain male physiological attributes that give them an advantage.
“It hasn’t been studied, but logical science will tell you someone who has three times more testosterone has the advantage physically. We need to do more research before arguing either way…”
“…I don’t know what the solution is, but right now it is not fair on CIS females competing against transgender women.” While Heather’s perspective has a bit more validity than the average person’s, as she is a professor in a relevant field and has researched this subject,
Stéphane Bermon and Pierre Yves-Garnier of the British Journal of Medicine conducted a study investigating if high testosterone levels affected performance of athletes both male and female by observing participants in both the 2011 and 2013 IAAF Athletics World Championships. The study concluded that female athletes with the highest testosterone concentration possessed a much greater advantage than those with the lowest concentration of testosterone in sprinting events (400 metres and 800 metres) 400 metre hurdles, as well as pole vault and hammer throw.
Contrastingly, a group of four scholars conducted a review of the current sporting policies surrounding transgender athletes.
The research in their article concluded that, “There is no direct and consistent research to suggest that transgender female individuals (and transgender male individuals) have an athletic advantage in sport and, therefore, the majority of competitive sport policies are discriminatory against this population.”
Still using Hubbard as an example, in 2017, when competing in the World Weightlifting Championships in Anaheim, California, she managed to get a silver medal in the snatch lift, second only to Sarah Robles, a weightlifter from the United States. While silver is still an exceptional result, The fact that a biological female athlete competed in the same class and managed to achieve a higher result, which is evidence that potentially this advantage may not be as strong as suggested.
Looking at the difference in testosterone levels between males and females could draw the conclusion that the laws around transgender athletes like Hubbard aren’t fair on other competitors, because even if they were to rank under the threshold, they still appear to have a drastic advantage.
However, on the other hand, when looking at Sarah Robles, that is a recent example of a biological female outclassing a transgender athlete legitimately, which could suggest that it may be fair.
The research conducted in the British Journal of Medicine demonstrates a clear advantage in females with higher testosterone levels, as would be present in a transgender female who has transitioned from being a man. Also stated in the article is that the advantage being present in particular sports, therefore that advantage may not be universally applicable.
Despite Hubbard’s transition causing controversy on the world stage, local New Zealand sport is also grappling with balancing inclusivity and fairness. Kate Weatherly just as recently as December had been performing among the middle range of male mountain biking competitions, and in January, won the national women’s championship held in Wanaka.
Weatherly’s fellow competitor Sophia Rawson has said she has no animosity towards her, and that she only wants to ensure that everyone is competing on an even playing field.
“She’s been riding as a guy for four or five years then with no stand down period whatsoever she was in the girls’ category…I thought there would be some sort of stand down period for that situation.”
“I’ve got nothing against Kate at all…I’m just confused by the rules and am trying to figure it all out.”
The rules aren’t fair as they are.
In January of 2016, The IOC (International Olympic Committee) underwent a legislative change for their policies on transgender athletes. The new regulations allow for transgender athletes to be included in the women’s’ bracket without undergoing reassignment surgery, as long as their testosterone levels at maximum are below 10 nanomoles per litre. Despite some research suggesting there is an advantage, Hubbard qualified for these parameters, so her inclusion, is entirely justified.
It should be noted, however, that the difference in testosterone from males to females is 3 times higher in the former Therefore, a biological female could not feasibly produce that level of testosterone, and if a transgender competitor did qualify beneath the required level of testosterone, she could still vastly outmatch one of the other female competitors.
Expanding on her point, Alison Heather gave her perspective, suggesting that these rules were introduced prematurely, without the necessary information.
“Given the lack of research, there is a real need to study what physical advantages transgender females carry after hormone therapy with consideration required for different sports, trainability and for performance…”
“…Until then, it is very difficult to conclude that it is a level playing field for CIS women versus trans women.”
The same conclusion about the lack of substantial research was made in the review conducted by the researchers, albeit Heather’s perspective is different than that of the researchers, and while Heather’s perspective is more informed than the average person, as she is a professor in a relevant field, it is still an opinion, as is that of the researchers.
Considering this advantage should provoke a further investigation into the legislation behind transgenders, and likely a change in that legislation, however in regard to specific sports within the range of Olympics/ Commonwealth.
What is the impact on New Zealand?
New Zealand, throughout its history has always been accepting in both politics/ policy and culture of people, regardless of their traits. When accounting for the fact the country has had 3 female prime ministers, the first woman to gain the vote as well as being among the first to allow same sex marriage, it is evident acceptance of people is very much present in New Zealand society/ culture. This quote personifies that, as despite her stipulations about transgenders in sport, Rawson emphasises that she has no hostility to Weatherly and other transgender athletes.
In regards to the ethicality of the issue,
