For the most part, there are no rules or laws about whether trans athletes can participate in sports competitions in their true gender, as opposed to the one they had at birth. This is perhaps one of the most debatable issues in sports and it affects athletes of all ages and professional echelons.

How to Maintain Fairness Without Discriminating?

There is a huge gray area that has fostered a neverending dispute across sports, politics, and education. Athletes are divided by gender because men and women have different genetic or hormonal advantages. This raises the question of how these differences can be accounted for to maintain a level playing field when transgender athletes compete. Where is the boundary between fair play and transphobia?

Trans Athletes Must Maintain Specific Testosterone Levels to Compete

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) allows trans men and women to compete in sports of their chosen gender. However, they must adhere to a strict hormone regulation process for one year to be allowed to participate in competitions. The reason behind the mandatory procedure hinges on regulating an athlete’s testosterone level in order to ensure fairness.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) also allows transgender athletes to participate in competitions in their true gender, but their hormone criteria are even more demanding than the one of the NCAA. The IOC dictates an exact testosterone threshold that all athletes can exhibit before taking part in the Games. For example, trans women can compete in the women’s category only if their blood testosterone levels are below 10 nanomoles per liter for a minimum period of twelve months.

The NCAA and IOC’s generally inclusive policies haven’t stopped the debate over the participation of transgender athletes. In fact, some competitions were heavily criticized for allowing trans men and women to compete.

The current situation creates a myriad of obstacles that can easily demotivate trans athletes to share their talents with the world, which is truly unfortunate and unjust.

Jeremy Lin broke basketball fans hearts when he left the NBA for China in 2019. After taking time away, Jeremy Lin is putting NBA franchises on notice as he announces his plans to leave the Chinese Basketball Association.

Shining In China

Following his 2019 championship-winning season with the Raptors, Lin found himself looking for a new NBA franchise. With no one willing to take a gamble on the star, he decided to prove himself in China with the Beijing Ducks. Lin has been proving his doubters wrong throughout his career, so this was nothing new to the point guard.

With a team-high average points of 22.3, Lin showed he is too good for the CBA, especially when adding his 5.6 assists and 5.7 rebounds average to his stats. With Lin shining in China, he was left with a tough choice; does he carry on in Asia or return for another shot at the NBA?

Returning Home

Lin released a statement to the Chinese social media site Weibo, with the point guard saying he had to make the hardest decision of his life. The star admitted that he would wake up in the middle of the night “thinking, thinking, and thinking all the time.” He was thinking about his NBA dreams and how they hadn’t disappeared. Lin won’t be staying in China, and he’s going to chase his dream to play in the NBA once more.

Linsanity

Fans of the NBA will remember Lin’s special 2011-12 Knick season when he took the league by storm. It was dubbed ‘Linsanity,’ and he provided some much-needed excitement for basketball fans in New York at the time. Perhaps he can do it once again.

Jeremy Lin could be a pretty safe option for several NBA franchises next season. He would be a reliable option from the bench, and due to uncertain finances, he wouldn’t be a huge risk for franchises.