NAIA approves transgender policy limiting women’s sports to biological females

Bsy Eric Olson the first college sports organization to take such a step.

According to the transgender participation policy, all athletes may participate in NAIA-sponsored male sports but only athletes whose biological sex is female and have not begun hormone therapy will be allowed participate in women’s sports.

A student who has begun hormone therapy may participate in activities such as workouts, practices and team activities, but not in interscholastic competition.

“With the exception of competitive cheer and competitive dance, the NAIA created separate categories for male and female participants,” the NAIA said. “Each NAIA sport includes some combination of strength, speed and stamina, providing competitive advantages for male studentathletes. As a result, the NAIA policy for transgender student-athletes applies to all sports except for competitive cheer and competitive dance, which are open to all students.”

The topic has become a hot-button issue among conservative groups and others who believe transgender athletes should not be allowed to compete on girls’ and women’s sports teams. Last month, more than a dozen current and former women’s college athletes filed a federal lawsuit against the NCAA, accusing the college sports governing body of violating their rights by allowing transgender women to compete in women’s sports.

10. NEWTOWN

Def. St. Joseph 7-6. Lost to Trumbull 1-0. Tuesday at Fairfield Warde, 4 p.m.; Wednesday at Shepaug, 4 p.m.; Thursday vs. Joel Barlow, 4:15 p.m.; Saturday vs. Waterford, 12 p.m.

After a couple of one-run ball games in the opening week, Newtown finds itself down two spots from the preseason poll. Newtown walked-off with a bases loaded walk against St. Joseph after being shutout by Trumbull's Becca Sexton. This week doesn't look much easier, with Shepaug and Amelia Jacob on Wednesday and the formidable Waterford on Saturday.

Woodland (5), St. Joseph (10). Woodland (1-1), 130: Watertown (2-0), 116; St. Joseph (1-1), 108; North Haven (3-1), 101; Oxford (3-0), 90; Coventry (2-0), 84; Haddam-Killingworth (3-0), 64; Guilford (3-1), 40; Old Lyme (2-0), 38; Mercy (3-1), 37; Waterford (0-1), 30; Windsor (1-0), 18; Seymour (2-0), 14; Glastonbury (2-1), 11; Brookfield (1-0), 7; Shepaug (1-0), 7. Name, Team/Paper.

Will Aldam