Just as it is impossible to unboil an egg, suppressing testosterone after it has done its work does not remove all the advantages it bestows
rugby union. Now it is swimming. On June 19th the Fédération Internationale de Natation , swimming’s global governing body, ruled that transgender women—ie, biological males who consider themselves women—would not be allowed to compete in women’s elite races if they have gone through male puberty. Two days later International Rugby League said it would not allow transgender women to play in the international women’s game, pending further research.
Recently, though, the issue has become harder to ignore. Laurel Hubbard, a New Zealand weightlifter and trans woman, made it to the final of the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 despite being 43 years old—an age usually considered well past a lifter’s prime. In March this year Emily Bridges, a trans woman cyclist and the holder of a British men’s junior record, was prevented from competing in an elite race a few days before it took place.
Critics—and an increasing number of sporting bodies—think that is unfair. When World Rugby made its decision, it looked at several scientific studies. Some confirmed what common sense suggests: most males are bigger, stronger and faster than most females, and some males are bigger, stronger and faster than any female. Another batch, which looked at whether that advantage could be removed with drugs or other treatment, came to a conclusion that was perhaps less obvious: that it couldn’t.
At first glance, that looked like an artful compromise. Testosterone, after all, is the original anabolic steroid. High levels in males, which begin in puberty, are responsible for much of their athletic advantage. But, just as it is impossible to unboil an egg, the science showed that suppressing testosterone after it had done its work does not remove all the advantages it bestows.
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