I am appalled by the amount of time and energy being sucked up by the whole transgender teen athlete issue.

Let’s start with the facts. Consistently, 1.7% of the babies born in the United States each year have enough physical ambiguity in their bodies to be categorized as intersex. Trying to legislate that there are only two genders is as valid as legislating the value of pi to an even 3. The realities don’t change.

Additionally, a slightly smaller percentage of the adult population, whether having historically intersex physiology or not, identify as transgender, expressing body dysphoria. So, all together, about 3% (or less) of our population fall into a very real niche between the far more prevalent male and female.

When it comes to letting them grow up and participate in sporting events, why don’t we let them be what they are: their own category. We keep copious records of athletic achievements for boys and girls, so it shouldn’t be hard to insert a twixt category. Let them play on whatever team they will and be compared to their own category. Each of the three categories will have their own records and awards to offer as goals for present and future generations. This eliminates the whole question about what is fair for whom when we try to lump things into only male and female.

It’s a simple solution in execution but removes a powerful political football from the playing field. I wonder how many will be willing to sacrifice talking points for effective action?

John Seksay
Augusta