Transgender people have a gender identity that doesn’t match their body or the gender they were given when they were born while cisgender people have a gender identity that matches their body (Krane 2019). Gender identity is how you feel inside, like if you feel male , a girl, or somewhere in between (Krane, 2016). Some transgender people might feel like their body and identity don’t match, so they might dress or act differently than what people expect. Some might not identify as just male or female, but something in between or completely different. They might use different pronouns like “ze” instead of “he” or “she.” Transgender people sometimes go through a process to change their body to match their gender identity. This can include hormone therapy or surgery, which can make it harder to compete in sports. But studies show that after a year of hormone therapy, trans athletes don’t have an advantage over other athletes (Krane, 2016). It’s important to include trans athletes on teams that match their gender identity (Krane, 2016).
Krane, V. (2016). Sexual orientation and gender identity: Inclusion and prejudice. In E. Staurowsky (Ed.), Women in sport: From liberation to celebration (pp. 117132). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
Krane, V. (2019) In D. Hackfort, R. J. Schinke, & B. Strauss (Eds.), Dictionary of sport psychology: Sport, exercise, and performing arts. Academic Press.
