TheUniversity of Nevada, Reno, in theUS, has officiallyforfeitedan upcomingwomen’s volleyball matchagainstSan José State UniversityinCalifornia, which includesBlaire Fleming, atransgenderplayer on its roster. This comes asUtah State Universityforfeited a match against San José State for the same reason.
Afterreportsthat the University of Nevada, Reno’s Wolf Pack players had voted against facing San José’s Spartans on October 26, the university affirmed the decision.
In an official statement, the Nevadan academic establishment noted: “The players’ decision and statement were made independently and without consultation with the University or the athletic department.
“The players’ decision also does not represent the position of theUniversity.”
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The University of Nevada, Reno, in the US, has officially forfeited an upcoming women’s volleyball match
Image credits:nevada_volleyball
“The University intends to move forward with the match as scheduled, and the players may choose not to participate in the match on the day of the contest.
“No players will be subject to any team disciplinary action for their decision not to participate in the match.”
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Unlike other universities that have forfeited matches against the Spartans, the Wolf Pack will not be forfeiting before players step onto the court,Fox Newsreported on Monday (October 14).
The team toldOutKickon Monday: “We, the University of Nevada Reno women’s volleyball team, forfeit against San Jose State University and stand united in solidarity with the volleyball teams of Southern Utah University, Boise State University, the University of Wyoming, and Utah State University.
“We demand that our right to safety and fair competition on the court be upheld. We refuse to participate in any match that advances injustice againstfemale athletes.”
Sia Liilii, a senior in the Wolf Pack, further revealed: “We were actually in Las Vegas preparing for our match against UNLV, our in-state rival.
“It was a really frustrating time, especially because we were about to go and play a big game.”
The university forfeited its match against San José State University in California
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Utah State University has already forfeited a match against San José State, prompting a lawsuit filed against Blaire.
Blaire is a senior participating in her third season on San José’s roster. As per the lawsuit, she violated a law that prohibits transgender players from competing in women’s sports,Bored Pandapreviously reported.
Several US states have laws that prohibit transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports.
These laws aim to restrict participation based on biological sex rather than gender identity, primarily to address concerns about fairness and competitive balance, Christian websiteThe Ethics & Religious Liberty Commissionexplains.
Image credits:blaire.fleming
Florida, Utah, and Idaho have implemented such bans, which cover high school and collegiate sports.
Southern Utah, Boise State, and the University of Wyoming have all already forfeited games against San José.
Advocacy groups have denounced the decisions to cancel scheduled volleyball games based on Blaire’s gender identity.
Image credits:nevadawolfpack
Tom Temprano, ofLGBTQ+rights group Equality California, told theEast Bay Timesearlier this month that the controversy is “rooted in transphobia not reality.”
He further stated that only about 1.6% of all collegiate athletes identify as transgender and that rules are in place to level the playing field.
Tom continued: “A very vocal group of extremists has really been able to gin up an unreasonable amount of hatred and concern.
“But the reality is that this just is not a widespread problem.”
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The debate over whethertranswomen should compete in women’s sports has divided the scientific community.
While some researchers have emphasized fairness in competition due to the potential physical advantages of male puberty, others have highlighted the importance of inclusion and argued that hormone therapy mitigates such advantages.
Joanna Harper, a sports scientist who identifies as atransgenderwoman, explained that transgender women’s advantages in sports were not necessarily unfair.
She pointed to left-handed athletes, who have advantages over right-handed athletes in many sports.
This comes as Utah State University forfeited a match against San José State for the same reason
“It is perhaps most marked in fencing where 40% of elite fencers are left-handed versus 10% of the population is left-handed,” the scientist told theBBCin 2022.
Consequently, the question shouldn’t be, “Dotranswomen have advantages?” but rather, “Can trans women and women compete against one another in meaningful competition?” according to Joanna.
“Yes, it’s true that competition can often come down to a very small margin, but there are, in any competition, many factors that come into overall performance and just saying that ‘oh, somebody has an advantage’ in one factor doesn’t necessarily determine the outcome.”
As per Ross Tucker, a sports scientist, the physiological differences established during puberty can create “significant performance advantages (between men and women).”
He told theBBC: “When boys reach the age of 13-14, things start to change physically and we see increased muscle mass, bone density; [it] changes the shape of the skeleton, changes the heart and the lung, hemoglobin levels, and all of those things are significant contributors to performance.
“It leaves behind a significant portion of what gives males sporting performance advantages over females.”
Bored Pandahas contacted Blaire for comment.
“I believe teams have no business forfeiting matches based on someone’s identity,” a reader commented
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