Time: 4:30-5:30 p.m.
RSVP: By Thursday, April 17 to clarkeforum@dickinson.edu. Space is limited. More information will be sent once we receive your RSVP.
Recently, 22 states, including Texas, Tennessee, and Alabama, have enacted laws restricting trans athletes from competition based on gender identity. In Pennsylvania, a bill (HB 972) was proposed in 2022 and vetoed in the same year, banning transgender girls and women ranging from K-12 to college from participating on women’s sport teams. Being a leading organization in regulating college sports, the NCAA permits transgender women to participate in women’s sports events with the requirement of documenting their testosterone levels 4 weeks before the sport’s championship selections, at the beginning of their season, and 6 months after it.
Since 2022, the NCAA Board of Governors has delegated decisions on transgender policies to each sport’s national governing body. However, the lack of consistency in policies is evident, with some organizations adopting inclusive measures based on hormone levels or time on hormone therapy, while others maintain stricter regulations linked to biological sex at birth.
This salon will explore the impact of current policies on transgender athletes. The discussion will be facilitated by Phuong Hoang ’26 and Thomas Lee, the director of the LGBTQ+ Center, and is sponsored by the Clarke Forum for Contemporary Issues.
Space is limited! Please RSVP to clarkeforum@dickinson.edu by Thursday, April 18. Light snacks and drinks will be provided.
Prior to the conversation, be sure to look over the following required prep materials in the order provided:
- NCAA’s Transgender Student-Athlete Participation Policy
- The New York Times’ Article: Title IX and the New Rule on Transgender Athletes Explained
- Peer- reviewed: Caster Semenya – the questionable practice of gender verification
- Video: Trans Athletes Address the “Debate” | Queer Sports
Further Reading (recommended / optional):
- Video: Trans athlete wins swimming title
- Peer-reviewed: Of Athletes, Bodies, and Rules: Making Sense of Caster Semenya
- Article: Transgender Athletes in Sports Competitions: How Policy Measures Can Be More Inclusive and Fairer to All