Bill sparks talk about transgender students in sports

CAUSE POVERTY DATA TO DROPAGAIN.STATE LEGISLATORS AROUND THECOUNTRY ARE PUSHING BILLS THATWOULD REQUIRE STUDENT ATHLETESTO PARTICIPATE IN ATHLETICSBASED ON THEIR BIOLOGICAL SEX,IMPACTING THOSE IN THETRANSGENDER COMMUNITY.IOWA IS JUST ONE OF A HANDFUL OFSTATES TO INTRODUCE LEGISLATIONTHIS YEAR.3 NEWS NOW REPORTER KENT LUETZENHAS MORE ON THIS DEBATE, ANWHAT DOCTORS ARE SAYINGbGOOD MORNING, JENNY AND SERESE.IOWA HOUSE BILL 20-22 IS JUSTONE OF THE MANY FORMS OFLEGISLATION SPARKINGCONVERSATIONS ABOUT TRANS YOUTHCOMPETING IN SPORTS.

MANY ARGUETRANSGENDER GIRLS, SO A MAN THATHAS TRANSITIONED TO A FEMALE,HAVE AN UNFAIR ADVANTAGE IF THEYWERE TO COMPETE IN FEMALSPORTS.THE IDEA COMES FROM TESTOSTERONEAND MUSCLE MASS ARE HIGHER INMEN VERSUS WOMEN, MAKING MENMORE ATHLETIC.

ACCORDING TO JEANAMOURA, DIRECTOR OF THETRANSGENDER CLINIC AT NEBRASKAMEDICINE, THOSE BELIEFS ARE NOTALIGNED WITH WHAT ACTUALLYHAPPENS WHEN SOMEONETRANSITIONS.

SHE SAYS PUBERTYBLOCKERS AND HORMONES WOULDCHANGE MUSCLES MASS AND BODYSHAPE, IMPACTING A TRANS GIRL’ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE."WHATEVER BIOLOGICAL ADVANTAGESTHERE MIGHT BE HAS BEENMITIGATED BY THEIR HORMONESTATUS.

WHAT WE ARE AMING FORWHEN PEOPLE ARE ON GENDERAFFIRMING HORMONES IS THAT THEIRHORMONE LEVELS ARE IN LINE WITHTHAT GENDERGENDER."AMOURA SAYS SHE SELDOM HAS YOUNGPATIENTS THAT EVEN PARTICIPATEIN SPORTS, MAINLY BECAUSE ITREQUIRES SO MUCH PAPERWORK ANDEXPLANATION.

SHE SAYS IT’S ASHAME THAT MANY YOUNG TRANSSTUDENTS DON’T HAVE ACCESS TOATHLETICS.AMOURA SAYS TRANS YOUTH HAVE AMUCH HIGHER RATE OF SUICIDE,ADDING MAYBE BEING PART OF ASPORTS TEAMS COULD MAKE THEMFEEL WELCOMED AND ACCEPTEDIT’S NOT JUST IOWA LAW MAKERSTHAT HAVE ADDRESSED THIS TOPIC,MULTIPLE OTHER STATES HAVEACTIVE LEGISLATION AIMED ATADDRESSING TRANS