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2024-12-30 18:57:17 UTC
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https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/12/democrats-trans-rights-sports/681130/
What the Left Refused to Understand About Women’s Sports
Female athletes said competing against trans women was an injustice.
By Helen Lewis
illustration of a pink-and-blue volleyball above the hands of two
opposing players
Illustration by The Atlantic. Source: Getty.
December 30, 2024, 6 AM ET
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Sia Liilii comes from a big family in Hawaii, the ninth of 11 children.
Without her volleyball scholarship at the University of Nevada at Reno,
she told me recently, she would never have been able to go to college.
So when she got wind this past summer that one of Nevada’s opponents in
the Mountain West Conference, San Jose State University, was fielding a
transgender player, she rebelled. “It’s not right that this person is
taking not only a starting spot but a roster spot, from a female who
has, just like us, played volleyball her whole life and dreamt of
playing at the collegiate level,” Liilii said.
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on our site and app, subscriber newsletters, and more.
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The story of transgender women competing in female sports is frequently
told as one of inclusion—creating opportunities for people to compete as
their authentic selves. But for athletes such as Liilii, these rules
were a matter of exclusion. Every spot taken by someone with a male
athletic advantage is an opportunity closed to a female rival.
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https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/12/democrats-trans-rights-sports/681130/
What the Left Refused to Understand About Women’s Sports
Female athletes said competing against trans women was an injustice.
By Helen Lewis
illustration of a pink-and-blue volleyball above the hands of two
opposing players
Illustration by The Atlantic. Source: Getty.
December 30, 2024, 6 AM ET
Share
Save
Sia Liilii comes from a big family in Hawaii, the ninth of 11 children.
Without her volleyball scholarship at the University of Nevada at Reno,
she told me recently, she would never have been able to go to college.
So when she got wind this past summer that one of Nevada’s opponents in
the Mountain West Conference, San Jose State University, was fielding a
transgender player, she rebelled. “It’s not right that this person is
taking not only a starting spot but a roster spot, from a female who
has, just like us, played volleyball her whole life and dreamt of
playing at the collegiate level,” Liilii said.
Enjoy a year of unlimited access to The Atlantic—including every story
on our site and app, subscriber newsletters, and more.
Become a Subscriber
The story of transgender women competing in female sports is frequently
told as one of inclusion—creating opportunities for people to compete as
their authentic selves. But for athletes such as Liilii, these rules
were a matter of exclusion. Every spot taken by someone with a male
athletic advantage is an opportunity closed to a female rival.
Never miss a story. Start your free trial.