Board of Ed needs to assure girls’ access to equal competition in sports; Congratulations to Bridgewater's Casey Murphy for winning gold
Casey competes in women’s soccer, where she rightfully faces other women. It’s common sense that women should compete with women in physical sports; allowing men to compete alongside them would create an unfair advantage.
Yet, this common sense is being challenged on today’s athletic fields. Transgender girls and women are often allowed to compete in female sports, and at times, this results in physical advantages that make it impossible for cisgender females to compete fairly.
I empathize with transgender women as they seek their place in sports. They deserve fair, equitable opportunities to compete, just as all people do. Equal treatment must extend to everyone, including transgender women.
However, when one group's rights overshadow another's, we cross the line from equality to preferential treatment. Women have fought for centuries to gain equality with men. Within that struggle, they’ve had to carve out their place in the sports world—a world historically dominated by men that often suppressed women’s participation.
Now, transgender women are fighting for their place in sports. But their physical advantages can place biological women at a disadvantage, sometimes even in harm’s way. Transgender women have the right to compete in sports, but not at the expense of fairness for cisgender women and the progress made in women’s rights.
As these issues become more prevalent, they will undoubtedly touch upon our Bridgewater-Raritan schools. I urge our Board of Education to stand firm for equality and protect the rights of our young biological girls, ensuring they have a fair and level playing field—just as Casey Murphy did.
