President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday which prohibits transgender women and girls from competing in female sports.
Kate Manne, professor of philosophy at Cornell University and the author of two foundational books on misogyny and male privilege, says that the action is discriminatory not only against transgender people, but also against women.
Manne says: “The President’s action reflects a moral panic: The number of professional sports where trans women dominate is currently zero. Studies, including the scientific and grey literature review commissioned by the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sports in 2021, have shown that, in general, trans women who undergo testosterone suppression, in accordance with international guidelines, do not have an advantage over cis women.
“Cisgender women of color as well as intersex people have historically faced disproportionate discrimination and false accusations in this arena: witness the disgraceful treatment of Caster Semenya, the South African middle-distance runner, as well as the Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, during the Olympics.
“The fate of cis and trans women is, and has always been, deeply entangled. Policing and trying to control our bodies, by restricting abortion care and gender-affirming care, and enforcing norms of feminine appearance in sports and otherwise, is simply misogyny.”
For interviews contact Ellen Leventry: (607) 882-5833, eel2@cornell.edu.
