Should Trans Girls Be Allowed To Play Girls' Sports?
This year in 2021 alone, over 20 states have introduced bills that would ban transgender girls from competing in girls' sports in middle and high school--some bans even apply to elementary school and college. These bills are controversial and sparking debate. TEACHERS: Get your students in the discussion on KQED Learn, a safe place for middle and high school students to investigate controversial topics and share their voices. Click to see this video and lesson plan on KQED Learn. The debate is centered around the idea that if a trans girl was assigned male at birth, they have a physical advantage over girls who arent trans, and therefore competing in girls' sports would be unfair. Supporters of this legislation argue that schools and sports teams should have these bans to keep the playing field level, otherwise trans girls would come in and dominate the sport, or take away opportunities for cis girls. With names like, Fairness in Womens Sports Act or Save Girls Sports Act, these bills are often backed by conservative & religious legal groups, like Alliance Defending Freedom--which has a track record of pushing anti-LGBTQ policies.