Mertens explains that while sports have traditionally been sex-segregated, it’s becoming more common for these lines to blur, especially as Gen Zers are more likely than members of previous generations to reject a strict gender binary altogether. Maintaining this binary in youth sports reinforces the idea that boys are inherently bigger, faster, and stronger than girls in a competitive setting — a notion that’s been challenged by scientists for years.
Challenged how? As expected, Experts and Studies soon appear to insist that we plebes don’t understand the true complexity at work here, for there are always Experts and Studies. One of the studies cited by Mertens insists that “[1] no scientific evidence supports assumptions that estradiol or female reproductive biology account for women’s lower levels of athletic performance, as [2] Serena Williams’s recent triumph while pregnant exemplifies.” Point one is ridiculous. Many of the reasons for the gap clearly hinge on reproductive biology. As Massachusetts General Hospital notes on a webpage about sex differences in injuries, “the anatomy of the hip and pelvis varies considerably in females compared to males. Many of these differences exist in order to allow for pregnancy and childbirth in women.”
These anatomical differences have a major impact on movements that are vital to athletic performance. Everyone knows this. The second point is a complete logical non sequitur — of course Williams winning a women’s Grand Slam while about two months pregnant is an impressive feat, but it also has literally nothing to do with the theory at issue here, which has to do with intersex differences.
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