Why are US states banning transgender women from sport?
New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard will become the first openly transgender athlete to compete at the Olympics after being selected for the womens super-heavyweight 87+kg category at the Tokyo Games next month. Hubbards selection is fuelling a fierce global debate about whether trans women should be allowed to compete in womens sporting events, and  if they are  what the rules should be. Trans rights campaigners say excluding trans athletes is discriminatory and will stoke bias against trans people in general, but critics say trans women athletes have an unfair physical advantage in womens competitions. The issue has been at the heart of a culture war in the United States between conservatives and supporters of US President Joe Bidens push for greater LGBTQ+ inclusion. As more people come out as trans, the participation of trans women in womens sport has increasingly been called into question, including by well-known sports stars. Tennis champion Martina Navratilova said last year the physical advantages for trans women competitors who had gone through male puberty were pretty obvious. Hubbards gold medal wins at the 2019 Pacific Games in Samoa, where she topped the podium ahead of Samoas Commonwealth Games champion Feagaiga Stowers, caused outrage in the host nation. Hubbard, who will be the oldest lifter at the Games at 43, competed in mens weightlifting competitions before transitioning in 2013. Two years later, she became eligible to compete at the Olympics in womens events in line with guidelines issued by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The IOC advises sporting bodies to let trans women athletes compete in womens events if their testosterone levels remain below a certain threshold for at least a year. Trans men face no restrictions. Around the world, sporting authorities are grappling with how to formulate their rules. World Rugby ruled last year that trans women could not compete in elite and international womens rugby, citing safety and fairness concerns. In the United States, school policies for trans athletes vary, but are usually set by bodies that govern athletics, rather than state laws. Several states have no policies at all. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), which runs inter-college sport in the country, says trans women must suppress their testosterone for at least a year before competing in womens contests  Trans men cannot compete with women if they start taking testosterone, NCAA rules state. In March 2020, Idaho became the first US state to ban trans women and girls from womens sports leagues in schools and colleges, setting off a trend that swept more than 30 other state legislatures. Idahos landmark law was suspended after a court ruled that it was discriminatory. This year, Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Montana, Tennessee, West Virginia and Florida passed similar legislation and South Dakotas governor has signed an executive order supporting a sports ban. All have Republican governors. In April, nearly 100 companies, including Facebook, Pfizer and Dell, said they were deeply concerned about the slew of trans-related legislative proposals presented in conservative states, calling the bills discriminatory.