Fact Check: It's NOT True That No Athletes Assigned Female At Birth Transitioned, Tried To Compete In Men's Sports
Is it true that there are no athletes who were assigned female at birth, transitioned and tried to compete in men's sports? No, that's not true: Although transgender female athletes such as swimmer Lia Thomas have received attention for their participation in events that align with their affirmed gender, there are also transgender male athletes who have tried to compete in men's events.
One example of a transgender male athlete who received media coverage is
Chris Mosier, a triathlete and duathlete who was the first out transgender person to represent the United States in international competition. Mosier has been vocal about
his experiences as a transgender athlete at the professional level.
Other transgender male athletes include swimmer
Schuyler Bailar, the first transgender athlete to compete in an NCAA Division I men's event, and boxer
Patricio Manuel, the first transgender man to box professionally in the United States.
Is it true that there are no athletes who were assigned female at birth, transitioned and tried to compete in...
leadstories.com
Transgender runner ‘just another dude,’ his college coach says
Brent Darah finds total acceptance at Bowling Green University.
Brent Darah, 20, is a transgender runner who was on the men's cross country team at Bowling Green University this past season. His coach, Lou Snelling, said something so simple that at the same time is powerful, because it showed the total acceptance Brent got from his team: "For me, Brent is Brent. He's just another dude," said Snelling.
Brent is the subject of a
great video piece by WTOL in Toledo. It tells of his journey of struggle (which included thoughts of suicide) and self-acceptance to the much better place he is in at Bowling Green. He was recruited out of high school for the women's team and became one of the team's top runners. But he never felt something was off and had his first conversation with Snelling in 2014.
"Before I even sat down in the chair and started talking to him, I already had tears streaming out of my eyes," said Brent. "I just told him, ‘Coach, I want to kill myself, like, I need help. I'm having all these problems, and I don't know what to do about it.' "
Shortly after that first conversation, in March of 2014, Brent told his coach that he was transgender. He was born a female, but in his heart, knew he was a male.
As a freshman on the women's team, Brent quickly became one of the top runners in the program. But when he made the decision to transition, he began taking testosterone and could no longer compete on the women's team.
When asked how his teammates took the news, Brent said, "They were incredibly supportive. I would say they are all like sisters to me, definitely."
Brent Darah finds total acceptance at Bowling Green University.
www.outsports.com
Trans swimmer Schuyler Bailar happy to be joining Harvard’s men’s team
"I'm not changing who I am, I'm not changing my personality. I am only changing my body so it matches my insides and my feelings."
"I'm not changing who I am, I'm not changing my personality. I am only changing my body so it matches my insides and my feelings."
www.outsports.com