Letter from
the Editor
Dear Reader,
I was recently asked, “You were undecided on whether you believe that transgender athletes can compete in the Olympics. Can you explain why?”
This got me thinking meticulously about both sides, whether they should be able to compete or not. In conclusion, I believe that transgender men and women should be allowed to compete in the Olympics as long as they have gone under surgery and their testosterone and oestrogen levels meet the criteria of females and males.
The official regulations from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) state that those who transition from female to male can compete in the male category without restriction, but those who transition from male to female can compete in the female category under three restrictions.
1. The athlete has declared that her gender identity is female. The declaration cannot be changed, for sporting purposes, for a minimum of four years.
2. The athlete must demonstrate that her total testosterone level in serum has been below 10 nmol/L for at least 12 months prior to her first competition (with the requirement for any longer period to be based on a confidential case-by-case evaluation, considering whether or not 12 months is a sufficient length of time to minimize any advantage in women’s competition).
3. The athlete's total testosterone level in serum must remain below 10 nmol/L throughout the period of desired eligibility to compete in the female category.
Compliance with these conditions may be monitored by testing. In the event of non-compliance, the athlete’s eligibility for female competition will be suspended for 12 months.
I agree with these terms because trans-men having disadvantages in men events is more fair than tran-women having advantages in women events. This is because men tend to have more muscle mass and and higher bone densities, which gives them more strength and speed. I believe that the trans-men who want to compete without a complete transition is competing with a slight disadvantage and that that was a choice they made on their own.
However, I strongly believe that it would be best if both genders met the criteria as women and men to compete in the Olympics.
Sincerly,
Lydia Kim