TRANSGENDERISM IN SPORTS

LGBTQ+
Written By Baily McDaniel

DOES THE BIBLE SPEAK TO TRANSGENDERISM IN ATHLETICS?

men playing rugby

Key Facts

  • Tulsi Gabbard introduced a bill on December 10th called “Protect Women’s Sports Act of 2020.” It seeks to limit Title IX protections based on “biological sex as determined at birth by a physician.” [1]

  • According to one study, women were approximately 52% and 66% as strong as the men in the upper and lower body respectively. [2]

  • The Olympic guidelines require only that trans woman athletes declare their gender and not change that assertion for four years and demonstrate a testosterone level of less than 10 nanomoles/liter for at least one year prior to competition and throughout the period of eligibility. [3]

  • California Interscholastic Federation for high school athletes states “All students should have the opportunity to participate in CIF activities in a manner that is consistent with their gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on a student’s records.” [4]

Key Scriptures

  • Genesis 1:27 “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”

  • Ephesians 5:28-29 “husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body…”

  • 1 Peter 3:7 “Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.

man swimming

Application

The question of transgender participation in the athletic category of their preferred gender is of significant debate. Many suggest that the allowance or disallowance is discriminatory and unfair to transgender athletes (those who do not identify with their birth-assigned gender) or cisgender athletes (those who do identify with their birth-assigned gender). These concerns can be addressed through the use of both Scripture and scientific evidence. 

What Does the Bible Say?

As Christians, we seek wisdom from the Bible in order to do what will be best for society. The Bible does have a lot to say concerning men and women. From creation, we can see that God intentionally created men and women different: “male and female He created them” (Gen. 1:27). The woman was created for a purpose. Thus, she was equal in value to the man, but created for different purposes (Gen. 2:18). This difference is also seen throughout the New Testament when the authors explain how Christian marriages are to function. Men are told to care for women and protect them (Ephesians 5:28-29). 1 Peter 3:7 even states that men should honor women as the weaker vessel. The physical bodies of men and women are inherently different as created by God. The biblical teachings on men and women show more than just a slight change in hormones. They show a significant difference between genders that reaches back to creation. 

What Does Science Say? 

At the heart of this debate is whether men and women are truly physically different and if short term hormones can eliminate that gap in strength between the two groups. While this strength difference has not been acknowledged in lower level competition such as high school athletics, the Olympics and others have tried to accommodate for the strength differences. The Olympics tests the testosterone levels of biologically male contestants competing in female events. However, limiting testosterone levels for a period of time does not eliminate the physical advantages such as height and earlier major muscle development. While muscle mass may decrease, many major developments to large muscle groups occur prior to administering testosterone blockers. [5]  

In addition to the physical characteristics, the brain function between men and women is different. No one gender is more intelligent than the other, but rather the hemispheres of the brain respond to stimuli differently from male to female. [6] These differences clarify that, even if one could ensure physical fairness, the cognitive function will likely favor one gender or the other depending on the activity. 

children playing soccer

Conclusion

There are situations in which Christians and non-Christians must come to political or social agreements about certain fundamental truths and what is best for society. Transgenderism in athletics is one of these cases. Because the truth of the Bible is clearly supported by science, Christians can advocate for the biblical understanding of men and women and find common ground with non-Christians. 

The differences between men and women, according to the Bible, are inherent - not merely the result of higher testosterone levels. This does not mean that all activities should be separated by gender. Many sports are co-ed and function well as such. However, to deny the differences between transgender athletes and cisgender athletes is problematic. Transgenderism in athletics will always result in an unfair advantage for either transgender or cisgender athletes in gender specific sports. Grouping athletes together based on biological gender in sex-segregated sports serves to honor and dignify both male and female athletes. Women and men are truly different from one another, and recognition of biological gender leads to an environment in which athletes can excel according to their God-given strengths. 

Baily McDaniel
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