Regardless, exclusion of transgender people from sports is not backed by the science, current evidence points to trans women having similar fitness and athletic ability as cis women:

https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2026/01/22/bjsports-2025-110239

While transgender women exhibited higher lean mass than cisgender women, their physical fitness was comparable.

transgender women’s VO₂ max, when adjusted for weight, aligns with cisgender women,4 further supporting parity in endurance capabilities

the absence of strength disparities between transgender women and cisgender women found in the current review was consistent and contradicts narratives framing male puberty as conferring irreversible athletic advantages despite [gender-affirming hormone therapy].

transgender women’s pretherapy advantages in push-ups and sit-ups disappeared after 2 years of feminising hormones among 46 individuals who started [gender-affirming hormone therapy] while in the US Air Force.

[–] Akuchimoya@startrek.website 2 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

Not all trans people are transitioned on hormones, so I guess a relevant question is Are trans athletes required to have been on HRT +testosterone blockers for a minimum time in order to compete in sports? At what level of competition would that be required? How and by whom is that monitored? Is it even possible to monitor if, say, an athlete reduces their T blockers?

[–] dandelion@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 14 hours ago* (last edited 10 hours ago)

yes, absolutely - and this has been true for decades without issue, the only reason it's coming up now is because the anti-trans movement is making such a big deal about it (not because trans women are winning or out-competing cis female athletes suddenly after decades of participation in sports)

It differs depending on the sport as to what the rules are, but the IOC for example used to require of trans women that they show testosterone levels are sufficiently low to compete in the Olympics. (Though recently the IOC got a new president who is committed to excluding trans and intersex participation in the Olympics, so the IOC just announced their new anti-trans policy, though that's not based on any evidence or change in the science, it's just ideology.)

[–] a_non_monotonic_function@lemmy.world 10 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Strange. I would think that a tween novalist would bu much more up to date in terms of modern medical science.

[–] dandelion@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 10 hours ago

doesn't take scientific literacy to know that a woman who looks like a woman, was born a woman, and has always been a woman ... is a woman 🙄

JK Rowling is actively participating in the anti-trans movement, who targeted Khelif because they want to keep up the tempo and discussion about trans participation in sports even when there are no trans participants to complain about.