Now more than ever, cis female athletes must show solidarity with trans athletes

Kathryn Bromwich argued that the main threat to us cisgender women comes from cisgender men, and not trans women. It is the same in sport: historically and currently, the common perpetrators of sexual assault, abuse and harassment in sport are cisgender men. They also tend to be heterosexual and white. They hold nearly all the levers of power in sport by leading international and national sport organizations and governing bodies, the NCAA, pro leagues, coaching staffs, mainstream sports media and more.

They give themselves near-unfettered access to use and abuse athletes of all genders. They face almost no accountability as they seem to purposefully leave SafeSport in the US, for example, understaffed and powerless in countless ways.

Yet anti-trans activists want us to believe that transgender female athletes pose the gravest danger to cisgender girls’ and women’s bodies, sport success and scholarships. Led by the Republican party, a shocking 22 states passed laws excluding transgender athletes from joining the teams of their gender identity. Politicians have attempted to pass nearly 500 anti-LGBTQ bills in state legislatures in 2023. Right-wing pundits such as Matt Walsh profit from their peddling of transphobia, making as much as $100,000 monthly from YouTube ads. Elon Musk’s recent declaration that the term “cis” is a slur indicates just how much transphobia is now central to Twitter.

[That’s what the war is about, right there. “Suck it UP, CIS women – you need to be more supportive of the frauds we are allowing to erase your records and very existence.” GAWD, I am still snorting fire, and I don’t dare link to the tweet I sent in response. Ed’s hair would erupt in flames. HARD. NO. We are done here. ~ Beege]