Trans girls/biological males competing against females

Wow. Many USMS swimmers, including me, have loved ones and friends who are transgender, and/or are LGBTQ+ themselves, and some of these comments are ignorant and hurtful for us to see. I thought masters swimming and USMS events were supposed to be welcoming, inclusive, supportive, and FUN. As a member of another marginalized group myself, this makes me feel like I would be discriminated against and excluded too.

I don't know what the solution is here, but we can certainly have an intelligent, INFORMED discussion without using hurtful, transphobic language. Even better, we can leave it up to the experts who actually have the knowledge and expertise to determine best policies and practices that also take into account the many transgender individuals who have received or are receiving timely gender-affirming medical care, and consequently will not have an advantage over cisgender competitors, as well as stealth (meaning not out) transgender athletes.

If any transgender swimmers are reading this thread, I am sorry for the hurtful comments posted here by others, but please know I'd be happy to swim with you anytime and otherwise support you, so feel free to connect. I'd much rather swim with transgender swimmers than transphobic swimmers.

Happy Pride Month!

Well - hard to dissect and generalize all "comments" - so yes we should look at the facts - and you do not seem to know the facts.... this quote is simply not true and it is the core of the problem !!!  "the many transgender individuals who have received or are receiving timely gender-affirming medical care, and consequently will not have an advantage over cisgender competitors" -- that is the core of the issue and it simply is not supported by evidence. The advantage of transgender athletes is by far larger than the "advantage" doping used to have for the "east" and I have that expertise. 

I highly doubt you have that expertise given your misinformed comments here.

Results Twenty-four studies were identified and reviewed. Transwomen experienced significant decreases in all parameters measured, with different time courses noted. After 4 months of hormone therapy, transwomen have Hgb/HCT levels equivalent to those of cisgender women. After 12 months of hormone therapy, significant decreases in measures of strength, LBM and muscle area are observed. The effects of longer duration therapy (36 months) in eliciting further decrements in these measures are unclear due to paucity of data. Notwithstanding, values for strength, LBM and muscle area in transwomen remain above those of cisgender women, even after 36 months of hormone therapy.

Erik: Are you quoting from a peer-reviewed study here, (perhaps a meta-study)? The text sounds like such. If so, please provide the citation.

Erik: Are you quoting from a peer-reviewed study here, (perhaps a meta-study)? The text sounds like such. If so, please provide the citation.