In recent months and years, a fierce debate has ignited throughout the country regarding whether or not transgender women should be allowed to compete in women’s sports competitions against other women. And now, a medical expert is weighing in.
Dr. Bradley Anawalt, an endocrinologist and professor of medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine, does not think that science will be able to resolve this debate as there is “relatively little firm scientific data” in either direction.
“We have relatively little firm scientific data to determine whether there is a biological advantage for the person who is born with XY chromosomes consistent with being assigned male at birth and exposed to testosterone,” Anawalt said in a University of Washington press release.
Anawalt does think that there is a chance science could provide some answers for specific sports, but he’s not convinced that science will be able to provide any substantial answers or guidance.
“Science might help address sport-specific questions. For instance, well-done research might determine that there is no competitive advantage in certain sports. Maybe we should allow competitors in those sports to choose based not on their assignment of sex at birth, but on what gender they affiliate with,” Anawalt said.
“I think that at the very highest levels in these sports, where scholarships are given out and there is a lot of money or public acclaim at stake, I think science is not going to provide enough facts to make it clear what’s the right thing to do. There will be questions about the fairness of including and excluding individuals.”
Without any real scientific answers, this debate likely isn’t going to be settled anytime soon.
