Why Trans Women Athletes Should Not Be Allowed in Women’s Sports
Due to a recent deal with the Trump administration, the University of Pennsylvania is no longer allowing transgender women to compete in women’s sports.
As of Tuesday, July 1, 2025, the Trump administration has put a ban on transgender women competing in women’s sports. Although this ban applies to all universities nationwide, the spark that started the fire was when the University of Pennsylvania violated Title IX by allowing transgender swimmer Lia Thomas, formerly William Thomas, to compete during the 2021-2022 season.
The University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) recently reached a resolution with the U.S. Department of Education that effectively bars transgender women from participating in women’s sports. This agreement comes after a federal investigation found that UPenn violated Title IX by allowing transgender athlete Lia Thomas to compete on the women’s swim team. As part of the settlement, UPenn will reinstate all women’s swimming records and titles previously held by a transgender athlete to cisgender women, issue apology letters to affected athletes, and publicly announce a new policy aligned with the agreement.
According to The New York Times, “The government also said the Ivy League school had pledged to ‘adopt biology-based definitions for the words ‘male’ and ‘female’’ that comply with the Trump administration’s reading of Title IX and a pair of executive orders that the president issued this year.” The agreement stemmed from a civil rights investigation initiated by the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights three years ago, which reviewed the university’s compliance with federal regulations regarding gender classification and Title IX protections.
Lia Thomas is not the only example of a biological male competing in women’s sports. In May 2025, another case drew attention: Katie McGuinness, a cisgender woman, raced against AB Hernandez of Jurupa Valley, a biological male. ForeverFitScience clearly states that, “Women and men do not have the same amount of muscle and endurance,” and that “Men typically start with more muscle mass due to higher testosterone levels, which allows them to gain more muscle mass naturally.”
On the other hand, the Office of Transgender Initiatives of San Francisco City and County references research published in the Journal of Sports Medicine, stating there is “no scientific evidence to support policymakers’ attempts to ban transgender women in sports.” However, the 2024 study they cite, funded by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), followed transgender women athletes over a two-year period of hormone therapy. It tracked metrics such as strength, endurance, and muscle composition. While the study showed that hormone treatment reduced testosterone levels and decreased muscle mass, it also concluded that transgender women retained certain physical advantages, especially in speed and explosive power, compared to cisgender women, even after full transition.
Although we all want a world where people are included in the groups they identify with, it simply isn’t fair to the young women who have trained for years to compete at the highest level, only to be beaten by a competitor who was born male, someone taller, stronger, and faster.
At the end of the day, someone is going to be left out. Whether it’s trans women who feel they deserve a shot at competing in women’s sports, or the biological women who have trained their whole lives just to be edged out by someone with a natural physical advantage, fairness needs to come first.
Biology matters. That’s not hate, it’s just the truth.
As Riley Gaines, former NCAA swimmer and women’s sports advocate, once said, “Until we find a solution that ensures fair play for everyone, these difficult but necessary decisions will continue.” It’s time for sports organizations, lawmakers, and educational institutions to come together and create clear, science-based guidelines that protect fairness for all athletes, especially women.
Great work 🙂