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Not to age myself publicly or anything, but back in the dark ages when there were limited sports for girls, I did take a chance and try out for the boy’s flag football team with two friends, Tina and Michelle. Because we were young and fearless and fast, we all made the team. Perhaps our coach was also ready to make a stand for girls in sports. We played one game in our school district before being removed from the team and offered the opportunity to be cheerleaders. Evidently parents from the opposing team complained that they had raised their sons to be gentle to girls, stating we only won because the boys were afraid if they played equally with us, we would be hurt. We were justifiably offended and chose to not be cheerleaders. By the time we got to high school, Title IX had been passed and we had our choice of sports. I chose swimming and competed on the synchronized swim team and swam breaststroke and freestyle competitively. It was something we could do, if not football.

Let’s fast forward one generation. My friend Tina, who had played football with me, called. Her daughter had made the high school football team. Wow. I congratulated her but she wasn’t so sure. We had played flag football, no tackling required. Her daughter was on the high school team, full tackles involved. She didn’t care how fast her 5-foot, 2-inch, 110-pound daughter was, she was sure she was going to get creamed on the field. I loved Priscilla’s spunk and tried to be supportive, reminding my friend that this is what we had been standing up for. Well, long story short, when Priscilla met her opposing 6-foot-3, 230-pound opposition on the field, it wasn’t pleasant. While Priscilla lived to have a better story to tell than we did, hers involved a life flight from the field and the end of her football career. And there might have been an “I told you so,” from her mother to me.

Obviously, there is a difference between the post puberty bodies of males and females. Sometimes in current day life we get so caught up trying to be fair to everyone that we actually pretend we are all created the same. But that is not true. Some of us are short, tall, thin, blond, ginger haired, have curly hair or not. And some of us are born male and some female.

Why this topic? Well, as a swimmer (and a promoter of gender equality) I find it disheartening to see what is currently happening in women’s sports. And as a Grams of beautiful granddaughters who are athletic and dedicated to their sports, I want to see them have a place to shine and demonstrate their hard work. And June being the 50th anniversary of the Department of Education’s Title IX passing made it seem a timely subject.

My daughters and granddaughters have grown up with opportunities many women of my generation did not have. But even that now is being compromised by the struggle of transgendered individuals. As transgendered athletes join the teams in women’s sports, we are seeing the women once again left behind, no longer able to claim the first-place trophy and scholarships they worked so hard to earn. Recently we saw Lia Thomas, a transgender swimmer, destroy the records for the women’s 500-meter freestyle race. Thomas, who had competed as a male swimmer for three years previously, and is still in fact a biological male, had a definite edge over the female swimmers he competed against. Nothing against Thomas, but it is concerning to me to see athletes who have been through puberty as one sex, transgender to another and then compete. Female and male bodies are created differently.

Follow the science is something we often hear these days. What is the science or definition of gender? What markers are utilized to determine that? Is it hormone based? According to Transathlete.com (2021), some states have no guidance regarding the definition for participation of transgender athletes, of which Montana is one. Some states are requiring surgical procedures be completed, some are asking for lesser commitments of the athlete, some base participation on an athlete’s birth certificate and some deny participation. Very reminiscent of female athletics prior to the Department of Education Title IX passage.

What is the answer? I don’t know. Perhaps a separate transgender league, as women achieved 50 years ago, to compete in? Whatever the outcome will be, I will be following the decisions of the Department of Education closely. While I cheer on the transgender youth who are looking for their place to belong and compete, and because I recall how it felt as a girl to have limited opportunities, I have compassion. Though I still find it disheartening to see our efforts of the past floundering. Once again biological females take a back seat to biological males.

My experience in life has shown males and females to be created equal of mind but different in build. The differences are real. If we follow science, we see most post pubescent males are taller, stronger and broader of shoulder than most women, creating a difference in strength and size. Lia Thomas demonstrated that standing on the award podium and sadly, Priscilla demonstrated that beautifully during her brief time on the gridiron.

Chelle is a recovering social worker who currently works as a licensed massage therapist at Cherry Creek Myotherapy. She moved to Montana with her husband David and two pups, Lucas and Turner, where they seek “the quiet life” amid new adventures.