Over the last couple of years, there has been a big debate about whether or not trans women should be allowed to compete in women’s sports. Trans women are those who were born as men but have since transitioned to women. While the differences between sex and gender are very much real, there is concern that the biology of a trans woman would ultimately give her an advantage over cisgender women.
With that being said, there has been an effort from lawmakers to ban trans women from participating in women’s sports. Trans activists believe this is discriminatory, while some cis women have expressed a desire to keep trans women away from their various leagues and organizations. The science behind trans women and their supposed advantages is still being studied, although in the interim, athletes like Matt Barnes believe trans women should have to play men’s sports.
While speaking to VladTV, Barnes was asked about whether or not trans women should belong in a league like the WNBA. Barnes immediately shut that down, noting that it would be too much of an unfair advantage. Barnes noted that while he has nothing against trans people, he just doesn’t think it makes sense for a trans woman to play against other women.
“I’m pro make your choice,” Barnes said. “But sports is different. Sports is a different beast. … I don’t like that. If you’re born a woman, I think you should play women sports. And if you’re born a man, you should play man sports.”
It is interesting to note that at this time, there are no trans women in the WNBA. There is a trans person in the WNBA named Layshia Clarendon, however, they are a trans male who recently got gender-affirming top surgery. Clarendon is still in the WNBA and plays for the Minnesota Lynx. This would be an example of what Barnes would prefer to see, moving forward.
Let us know what you think of Barnes’ take, in the comments below.
