As schools around the United States accept gender as a fluid concept, students have become more comfortable with how they identify . PHS has started practicing gender inclusion by establishing a gender-neutral bathroom, a step in a positive direction to giving students who are uncomfortable and scared to use traditional bathrooms another option. However, in high school athletics, students are not given the alternative of competing outside traditional boys’ and girls’ leagues. Due to these limited options for competition, the relationship between athletes’ self-identified genders and the sports leagues they compete in remains unclear.

So far, there are 16 states that have rules which accommodate transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming high-school athletes. This means that 34 states, including New Jersey, do not have these accommodating policies and instead make decisions on a case-by-case basis.

Generally, transgender people are able to identify and express who they are . But in sports, their gender identity is determined by something other than self-identification. Gender in professional sports is sorted into two categories determined by levels of testosterone. Those who wish to compete as women must be able to maintain a testosterone level of at most 5 nmol/L for six continuous months. This amount is still higher than the average woman’s levels of 0.1-1.8 nmol/L.

However, some believe when it comes to sports categorized through gender, it is necessary to take other factors into consideration. The medical transition period,  the in-between time after a person has come out and takes action to change their gender, must be taken into account. The length of transition periods varies from a couple of months to a couple of years. During this time, transgender athletes may go to gender doctors to confirm their gender dysphoria and may then start taking hormones. So while transgender athletes are transitioning, should they be able to compete in the gender they self-identify as?

“If their hormone levels are similar to [those] of the average woman or man they identify with at that point in time, they should be allowed to compete on that team,” said Anonymous, a transgender student who wishes to remain unnamed.

On one hand, it is immoral to deny people’s rights as human beings to play for what they consider their correct gender, but it is difficult to completely disregard testosterone and estrogen levels.

As a student-athlete herself, tennis player Ashley Chen ’23 believes that people who come out as transgender should be accepted for who they choose to be.

“I think that they should be able to play in whatever league they want to. I don’t think it matters because they’re athletes. They’re all playing the same game,” Chen said.

Although being accepted for who you are in all aspects of life is ideal, it is not always that simple. Unfortunately, biological factors play a large role in athletics. Women and men are built differently, preventing an easy transition between genders. Scientifically, men have a larger lung capacity, a greater bone density, and a higher muscle mass. This distinction is apparent on a high school level in sports teams at PHS. For example, on the track team, the fastest male mile-runner has a quicker time than the fastest female mile-runner. However, their times are never compared because the events are separated by gender. If men and women were placed in the same event, the competition wouldn’t be as entertaining because the outcome would be too predictable. Most likely, women would lose to men due to biological circumstances that are beyond their control.

Another physiological disparity was observed in an assigned female at birth swimmer transitioning to a male.

“I know a trans man who swims. The major issue is that he has never gotten to the level of cis boys,”  Anonymous said.

This difference in strength applies both ways. When a transgender woman decides to play for the female team, she is typically stronger than all of her teammates because of natural genetic variation. However, these physical challenges are not the only ones these athletes must face. In fact, distinction in body composition also has psychological effects, preventing trans athletes from feeling completely accepted.

“There are kids that know they are trans, that know they are in the wrong body, but they can’t go to the doctor either because of their family or financial issues. They want to continue playing sports, but the feeling of playing on the wrong team is inescapable,” Anonymous said.

While transgender athletes may feel that they stick out on strict female and male teams offered at the high school level, it can be argued that sports are a good way for these athletes to be themselves. It is well known that regular exercise has its health benefits, with engagement in physical activity often used to promote physical health and manage mental health. Transgender people report higher levels of depression and anxiety in comparison to the general population and can thus benefit significantly from the stress relief and community that can be found in high school sports. The increased risk of mental health issues and loss of passion caused by their inability to compete with people of their self-identified gender could be dangerous. This negative consequence is apparent in an account of a transgender athlete who quit playing a sport for some of these reasons.

“I used to play sports, but I felt so scared [of changing leagues]. There would [have been] issues with coaches not liking you, people not liking you, feeling so different,” Anonymous said.

In order for transgender athletes to relieve stress by doing the sport they love while still feeling validated, there are a few possible alternatives to just men and women leagues. Piper Sullivan ’21, a gender-neutral student-athlete, presents a potential option.

“Ideally, you combine the two gender teams into just one. But I think a lot of people would be unhappy with that. And it might not be fair. So, I think, even making a third team that anyone can join would be really helpful,” Sullivan said.

Many students agree with Sullivan, and confirm that if the change were to be made they would be open to joining the new team. Kyleigh Tangen ’24, who competes in girls cross country and swimming, adds that change would have to come from the athletes themselves.

“I think it would have to be up to the students. But, if there was an option for mixed-gender sports, I would like that. If there were such a team then I might try out actually,” Tangen said.

When determining the relationship between sports and transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming  athletes, it is important to acknowledge the unique challenges they must face both in and out of their sport. If New Jersey decides to implement a decision on these high school athletes, they must understand that human rights are ultimately more important than sporting events.