Sport has never been completely fair, and banning trans women from competing doesn’t solve that, says Dr. Travers, a sociology professor from Simon Frasier University who studies gender and sport.
“There’s this idea that trans athletes are taking over,” she said. “But it’s just not true. There are very few trans women competing, and they aren’t dominating.”
Travers says people who talk about fairness in sport often ignore other, bigger issues.
“In many sports, the kids who succeed are the ones whose parents can afford private coaching, tournament fees, and travel,” she said. “If your family doesn’t have money, your chances drop. That’s the real unfairness.”
She say this shows up in sports like baseball and hockey, where lower-income and racialized kids are underrepresented. “Black kids used to play baseball more,” they said. “Now, those community programs are gone. The system rewards wealth.”
Travers also questions how sex and gender are used to make rules in sport. “There’s no test that proves someone is male or female,” they said. “Bodies don’t work like that. There’s a lot of variation, even among cisgender athletes.”
They say sex testing is often used more on Black and brown women who are seen as “too strong” or “too tall.”
Alberta’s Fairness and Safety in Sport Act, which became law Sept. 5, says only athletes assigned female at birth can compete in female-only divisions. Anyone over age 12 must confirm this in writing.
Travers says this law is already pushing girls out of sport, and not just trans girls.
“Cis girls are quitting because they don’t want their bodies questioned,” they said. “Some are scared to be targeted if they don’t ‘look’ feminine enough.”
They shared the story of a nine-year-old girl in Kelowna who was shouted at during a track meet by adults who thought she was a boy. “She had short hair. That’s all. She was too upset to finish the race.”
They say tall or muscular girls are often harassed or accused of being trans. “Even women in college basketball are being called men online just because of their build,” they said. “It’s cruel and it’s happening more.”
Much of the recent attention around trans athletes started after swimmer Leah Thomas won one NCAA title in 2022.
“She’s the only trans woman to win at that level,” Travers said. “There are fewer than 10 trans women in the entire NCAA system. This panic isn’t based on facts.”
They say the people pushing these bans don’t have a strong history of supporting women’s sport.
“They’re not fighting for equal pay, better funding, or protecting girls from abusive coaches. They’re just using trans athletes as a scapegoat.”
Travers believes that creating more mixed-gender leagues and teaching kids to be inclusive would be a better solution.
“There’s no need to separate seven-year-olds by sex. Most differences don’t show up until puberty,” they said. “If we care about girls and women in sport, we should be listening to what they actually want”
