Transgenderism in Sports Logically Extended

Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute and host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast, reflects on transgenderism in sports. Cheryl Cooky, Perdue University Professor of American and gender studies, writes, “[Lia] Thomas’ victories in NCAA swimming should be celebrated as an advancement in women’s sports.” Speaking from her NBC platform, Cooky goes on to decry the reality that sports at present are “organized based on the belief of natural differences between men and women, and they are sex-segregated as a result.” And this leads to discrimination. Thus, just as Jackie Robinson was celebrated for breaking the racial barrier as the first Black Major League Baseball player, Lia Thomas should be celebrated for breaking the gender barrier and should be embraced for the “trailblazer that she is.” So, in a nutshell: just as it is right and just not to discriminate on the basis of race, it is right and just not to discriminate on the basis of gender. Taking the argument to its logical conclusion, women should be allowed to play in the NFL, and men should be allowed to play in the LPGA — until we become enlightened enough to drop the “L” from LPGA. Dr. Rachael McKinnon, internationally recognized scholar in philosophy and transgender issues, an individual who transitioned from male to female and thereafter became a 2-time women’s cycling world champion, made the argument explicit in saying that “the gap in performance between elite men and women is closing in every sport. As the men are improving and new records are being set, the women’s records are being set faster. The gap is closing. Its misleading to take the current gap and say that will always be the case.” So, the point would be to become free-thinking enough to do away with gender in sports altogether — then people, whatever they are in mind or body, can compete together in the NFL, NBA, PGA, you name it. What a victory that would be for women, right? Is this supposed victory being won by robust debate or by robust censorship? Under the Bolsheviks, swimming against the tide was a prescription for getting your assets seized; today assigning the wrong pronoun to an NCAA Division I swimming champion is grounds for shutting down your Twitter account and submerging your voice so that truth is left to drown in the pool. Cheryl Cooky, “Lia Thomas' NCAA Championship Performance Gives Women Sports a Crucial Opportunity,” NBC News, March 21, 2022, https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/we-should-be-celebrating-lia-thomas-we-did-jackie-robinson-ncna1292521. “Q&A: Dr. Rachel McKinnon, Masters Track Champion and Transgender Athlete,” VeloNews, October 15, 2018, https://www.velonews.com/news/qa-dr-rachel-mckinnon-masters-track-champion-and-transgender-athlete/.