In President Trump’s efforts to put aside the Constitution of the United States, he has targeted transgender people, with a particular focus on trans athletes. Our state legislators are now caught up in this argument. Let’s put this debate to rest with the following facts:

• Trans athletes, especially trans women, have been playing in women’s sports for decades.
• Underrepresented in all levels, from high school to professional sports, trans athletes who compete don’t often dominate their sport.
• For trans people who do participate in competitive and professional sports, decades of research from medical journals and from sports governing bodies have established clear guidelines.
• The Journal of Sports Medicine, in a 2021 study, found emphatically that there is no scientific evidence that would support policymakers’ attempts to ban trans women in sports.
• A 2024 study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine concludes that trans women may have several physical disadvantages when competing against cisgender women, including less lower body strength, poorer lung function and only equivalent bone density, which is related to the much-maligned muscle strength.
• Despite the science, some policymakers continue to scapegoat trans women athletes, creating an environment of fear, misinformation and discrimination that endangers all female athletes.

To be clear, there is no federal law that requires states to prohibit trans athletes from competing on the team aligned with their gender identity. There shouldn’t be one in Maine either.

Let’s put it to rest.

Christine Curci
Cumberland