Let me start this one off as I am in full support for LGBTQ individuals and equality. We need to follow our heart on who we are. I am not judging at all. If I slip in some terminology along the way, feel free to correct me in comments or direct contact. I am trying to be the best me that I can be, but I am an old school human. With that being said, I do not have an answer for how to have an equal playing field when it comes to athletic competitions with respect to those undergoing changes. Those who were born with a male physique tend to have more brute strength than those with a feminine physique.

Let’s go back a lifetime or two, my youth (while I speak stereotypically from that time). Guys did not try out for girls teams, it would have been an unfair advantage on a physical level. Girls now and then would go for sports that did not have a female equivalent team. I remember in my high school wrestling days when there were a few girls that wanted to wrestle. it put the guys in a lose/lose situation. If they won the match, then they had only beaten a girl… and thus didn’t really win. If they lost, then they lost to a girl… That was after they already had to grapple with being in close physical contact with a girl to begin with. Then add in their hormones and being all out awkward. Now in football, there were some really good girls playing football as quarterback. They were very rare, but there were a few that did it.

Coming back to current day we have a different situation. As we strive for equality in all realms, we see sports being targeted. There is a big flap over transgendered athletes who may be gaming the system. Individuals that were male at birth that may be pharmaceutically changing gender to gain an advantage in ladies sports. Is this a rising problem? How many people are doing this? I have no idea what so ever. I suspect that it is very rare, but it is enough to get the ret hats riled and that is really what brought my attention to it beyond a level of “huh, that doesn’t seem fair” level of thought.

All kids should have the opportunity to participate in sports if they are physically able to do so. Obviously if you were not born with all of your limbs, some sports may be a bit rough if not impractical to perform. I am not saying that they can’t, just that it will be very hard to complete.

How do you make it fair for all parties involved? Most of these kids (into their young adulthood) just want to enjoy the sport, and the competitive factor. Others really hope that it will buy them a scholarship to school and it may be their best chance to get a full education.

I do not want to exclude people by saying that one must compete in their birth assigned gender, but outside of that I do not have any ideas on keeping this fair for all. I would love to hear ideas on it, provided that they can remain respectful.