Transgender Runner's Victory Raises Concerns over Fairness in Women's Sports

A transgender athlete's recent victory in the Oregon state track championship has sparked a debate about fairness in women's sports.

A transgender runner from McDaniel High School, Aayden Gallagher, recently won the Oregon 6A girls' 200-meter championship, reigniting the debate about fairness in women's sports.

The victory has drawn attention to concerns raised by female athletes, who argue that biological men who identify as women have an unfair advantage in competitions. Female athletes have called on the United Nations to take action and prevent biological men from competing in women's sports.

Transgender Runner's Victory Raises Concerns over Fairness in Women's Sports

At the Geneva Human Rights Council last week, female athletes, including British Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies and college athlete Chelsea Mitchell, joined UN Special Rapporteur Reem Alsalem to discuss the issue.

Mitchell, who is suing the Connecticut Interscholastric Athletic Conference for allowing transgender girls to compete in female sports, testified that she has lost four women's state championship titles to transgender athletes.

Transgender Runner's Victory Raises Concerns over Fairness in Women's Sports

"It tells me that I’m not good enough, that my body isn’t good enough, and that no matter how hard I work, I am unlikely to succeed, because I’m a woman," she said.

Mitchell is one of five athletes represented by Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) who have brought lawsuits challenging transgender inclusion policies in women's sports.

Transgender Runner's Victory Raises Concerns over Fairness in Women's Sports

The Biden administration's recent updates to Title IX, which prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, have also raised concerns among female athletes. Experts argue that the broad interpretation of "sex" to include "gender identity" could undermine the opportunities for biological women in sports.

UN Special Rapporteur Alsalem has warned against altering the definition of women in Title IX, saying it could result in discrimination against most women and girls.

Transgender Runner's Victory Raises Concerns over Fairness in Women's Sports

Davies, who lost out on a gold medal in the 1980s to an East German competitor who had been given testosterone, emphasized the importance of fairness for female athletes.

"We know that the physical attributes caused by testosterone give males an unfair and irreversible advantage — yet time and time again, they are given a ticket to compete in female-only events, causing worthy female competitors to lose out," Davis said.

Transgender Runner's Victory Raises Concerns over Fairness in Women's Sports

Mitchell testified that losing a state championship is hard, but losing because the race isn't fair is "gut-wrenching."

"I worked hard to be in the running to win a state championship, and four times, I watched as that title went to a male athlete," she testified.

Giorgio Mazzoli, director of UN advocacy for ADF International, emphasized that authorities must uphold the integrity and fairness of female sport.

"Female athletes have equal rights to fairness, safety, and privacy, both on and off the playing field," he said.

The United Nations has been urged to take action on the issue ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics.