Discussing transgender athletes in women’s sports

TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – Transgender women in sports?

A group co-founded by a former University of Arizona standout is taking on the NCAA.

The Independent Council on Women’s Sports, co-founded by UA Sports Hall of Fame Marshi Smith, is calling on the community to rally and protect women’s sports.

“Keeping Women’s Sports Female,” was the main message the group shared at a forum Tuesday night.

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Those with ICON believe cis-women athletes deserve their own playing field and said this all comes down to protecting women’s rights in sports.

The group is helping over a dozen female athletes sue the NCAA for letting transgender athletes compete against them and use female locker rooms in college sports.

According to Smith, she knew she needed to step up when Lia Thomas won a national title back in 2022.

“Witnessing two years ago, Lia Thomas stand on the same championship podium that I once stood in 2022, watching the devastation of a female athlete to lose the opportunity to win an NCAA title, really activated me,” Smith said.

Smith believes this goes beyond who or who shouldn’t be able to participate in women’s sports.

“What I will say is overwhelming, women, not only women, but men, the general population, regardless of party really believe women and girls deserve a fair chance at competition,” Smith said.

However, not everybody agrees.

In a letter sent to the NCAA Board of Governors, hundreds of current and former Olympic, professional and college athletes, experts and advocacy groups sent letters on Tuesday, April 23, urging the NCAA not to ban transgender women from women’s college sports.

Athlete Ally, an organization that believes everyone should have access to play sports, also sent a separate letter that said quote:

“Throughout the history of sport, we have seen girls and women, and Black and Brown athletes, systematically excluded under the guise of preserving a specific view of what an athlete should look like. To deny trans athletes the freedom to be their authentic selves and participate in the sport they love goes against the principles of Olympism: that sport is a human right and that sport is for all.”

Smith said they encourage everybody to be active in the sports community and this isn’t about denying anyone the right to play.

“This is not about denying anyone the chance to compete in any sports,” Smith said. “What we do advocate for is the specific eligibility criteria for each category needs to be fair and equal which is why women need a sex-based category.”

The NCAA doesn’t have set guidelines for transgendered athletes but that can soon change. The board of governors is set to meet Thursday to vote on a transgender-athlete policy.

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