Lily Podolsky

Mrs. Thomas

UWRT 1104

28 February 2017

Transition into Transgender Times

Before 30 years ago, the word transgender may have been foreign and unknown to the

public. It has only been recently that the idea of transgenderism has been explored and

pondered But what exactly does it mean to be transgender? The Merriam-Webster dictionary

defines it as, of, relating to, or being a person whose gender identity differs from the sex the

person had or was identified as having at birth. The idea of this may be confusing to those who

dont feel it, but it is hell to those who do.

Since the 2000s, more and more celebrities are coming out as transsexual, and it is also

the basis of some newer TV shows. This is normalizing the idea of transgenderism, which can

be looked at as controversial or progressive. RuPauls Drag Race is a popular show about

finding Americas next drag superstar, and its hosted by RuPaul, a famous drag queen. Some

more well-known transgender celebrities are Laverne Cox, Chaz Bono, Amanda Lepore, and

Caitlyn Jenner. Caitlyn Jenner, formally known as Bruce Jenner, is one of the most popular

faces in the transgender community today. Before making her transition, she was one of the

most famous athletes in the world, winning an Olympic gold medal for the triathlon.

While its perfectly okay to be whoever or whatever one wants to be, there are some

issues that face the idea of transgenderism in todays society. One that particularly stands out

to me, is whether or not men in the process of transitioning, men who have have already

transitioned, or women taking testosterone to transition to a man should be allowed to compete

athletically alongside women. Testosterone is a steroid hormone that stimulates development of

male secondary sexual characteristics. Basically, testosterone affects ones bone mass, fat

distribution, and most importantly, muscle size and strength. While testosterone is found
predominantly in men, small amounts are found in females also. 6-86 ng/dl are found in

women, while 270-1100 ng/dl are found in men.

That being said, scientific studies have proven that the very strongest women athletes are just

barely as strong as average male athletes. The top 75 percentile of female athletes are below
th

the bottom 25 percentile of male athletes. Using real world examples, in sports, male collegiate
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shot put throwers throw a sixteen-pound ball, as opposed to their female counterparts who

throw an eight-pound ball. Womens basketball are 28.5 inches in circumference, and mens

basketballs are one inch larger than that at 29.5 inches. In the crossfit games, women must do

the same amount of sets as men, but women perform with less weight. For example, men use

50 pound weights and women are required to use 30 pound weights. The last thing Im trying to

do is argue that men are superior in every way to women, and women cannot compete with

men. Women are capable of anything they set their minds to, but they physically are not on the

same level as men due to chemicals in their bodies.

At Trinity High School in Texas, junior Mack Beggs just won the 6A girls state wrestling

title, but there is one problem- Mack is a boy. Originally born a female, Beggs has been taking

testosterone for the past year in a half to transition into a male. This has caused uproar in the

community, and has even convinced one parent to file a lawsuit with the league that organizes

the sports for public schools. The argument in this situation is that since testosterone has been

taken by Beggs for a significant period of time, she should wrestle alongside boys. Beggs

wants to wrestle with boys, but according to Texas rules, boys can't compete against girls, and

students must compete as the gender marked on their birth certificate. Where should Beggs

wrestle? Its easy to argue both sides, considering hes much stronger than the average girl, but

weaker than the average male.

There are many other issues pertaining to transgenders and how the situation should be

handled, since its a rather new topic. Should there be new laws and rules written to

encompass the transgender community? This is an issue greater than just the UNCC
community, because it impacts not only the country, but the whole world as well. Is the

transgender community being brought to the spotlight means to start new legislation regarding

what they can and cant do? (just like how men cant play in womens leagues, etc)