Trans females aren't on same playing level
Wimbledon Champ Billie Jean King holds down the net as Bobby Riggs, the 55-year-old tennis player she played in the game that was billed as "the battle of the sexes," jumps over the net. Credit: MCT/HANDOUT
I’d like to respond to the letter writer ("Not much to trans women argument," Letters, May18).
A reader states that Billie Jean King proved long ago that women could compete with men ["Not much to trans women argument," Letters, May 13]. In reality what King proved was that the best female tennis player at that time could beat an above-average male player 25 years past his prime, Bobby Riggs. The writer further stated that "many phenomenal female athletes can compete easily with men." Does this mean that we only need to have "sports," not men’s and women’s sports?
Former media darling Caitlyn Jenner is one of the few people qualified to comment on the issue. Even she believes it is unfair for transgender females to compete in women’s sports. Let’s listen to people who actually understand the issue.
Gerard Sewell, West Babylon
Hormones, natural non-enhanced bodies of females, and muscle and bone structure are some components of females compared with males. Male muscles are different, and there is a natural ease of development through exercise and weight lifting and cross-training, etc. A girl is born as a girl, a boy is a boy, simple. Transgender females are not born genetically and physically the same as those born as females.
What was the rightful purpose of Title IX of the Education Amendments Act half a century ago, if not to simply do what it set out to do — create equal rights for naturally genetically women in sports so they could have equal playing fields.
Otherwise, this will be the end of "women’s sports."
** FILE ** This is an undated handout showing Bobby Riggs posing for Billie Jean King. Riggs proudly proclaimed himself a male chauvinist pig as he hyped the 'Battle of the Sexes," played Sept. 20, 1973 at the Houston Astrodome. (AP Photo/File) Credit: AP
Neal McLaughlin, Carle Place
It is simply a fact that, generally, men are bigger, faster and stronger than women. If transgender women want to compete, they should do so against men. The Olympics had this issue many years ago when the East German women were found to have high levels of testosterone. Their medals were taken away. One’s sexual orientation or identity is different from biology. In competition, biology must win out.
Roy Sperrazza, Northport
I would like to ask the letter writer: If you had a 13- to 18-year-old daughter competing in soccer, lacrosse or running track, do you think it would be fair if trans females competed against them? Tennis is a poor example because it’s not a contact sport. Let’s get real about this.
Eileen Cuomo, West Hempstead
Using a 1973 tennis match between Billie Jean King, the top women’s tennis player in the world, and a 55-year-old tennis pro, Bobby Riggs, as the basis for his argument had me chuckling. Instead, how about using a few examples from several sports, including track and field, swimming, weight lifting, or any other physical sport in which results can be compared. One would see that men and women compete at different levels. Allowing transgender women to compete in female sports is just unfair. So as not to exclude anyone, just create more categories that will allow transgender athletes to compete with each other.
John McKeown, Massapequa Park
Editor’s note: We did not receive any new letters in support of trans females competing in female sports.
