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https://theconversation.com/polarising-sensational-media-coverage-of-transgender-athletes-should-end-our-research-shows-a-way-forward-187250>
"Given recent and often sensationalist media coverage of the issue, it’s easy
to overlook the fact that transgender athletes have participated in elite sport
for decades – at least as far back as tennis player Renée Richards competing in
in the 1976 US Open.
Transgender athletes have also been able to compete in the Olympic Games since
2004. But in the past year, the visibility of transgender women athletes such
as New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard and American swimmer Lia Thomas has
triggered considerable media interest and public debate.
Most recently, international water sports federation FINA has released a new
policy that will only allow transgender women athletes who’ve transitioned
before the age of 12 to take part in elite international swimming competitions.
Some have called the policy trans-exclusionary and an “unacceptable erosion of
bodily autonomy”.
Clearly, the topic raises critical questions of sex, gender and sport
categorisation, requiring complex argument and nuanced understanding of
transgender issues. Media coverage, however, can frame those questions in
starkly oppositional terms, suggesting there are only two sides to the debate
(for or against inclusion) and that “fairness” and “inclusion” are
irreconcilable.
Our research, published this week (and in a forthcoming book,
Justice for
Trans Athletes: Challenges and Struggles), suggests news media are not neutral
in their reporting of these issues and they play a powerful role in shifting
public perception and shaping policy regarding transgender people’s
participation in sport."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
