Do trans women have unfair athletic advantage in female competitions?

Rating

Trans women — who were assigned to the male sex at birth but identify as female — have male advantages. If they undergo hormone therapy as part of gender-affirming measures, the differences to cisgender women are reduced. But even then, there are still advantages. Expert opinions differ on the extent to which fair competition between trans and cis female athletes is possible. The male advantage also plays a different role depending on the sport. While it creates major differences in strength sports, such as weightlifting, the situation is different in shooting or dance sports. Last but not least, the issue of fairness must also be weighed against that of inclusion. But experts agree on one thing: There is a great need for further studies on the athletic performance of trans people in elite sports.

Reviewed by DW ↗ · March 20, 2025