All posts tagged: Transgender

New study finds no clear physical advantage for transgender women over cisgender women in sports

New study finds no clear physical advantage for transgender women over cisgender women in sports

Published by Jenni Sidey

A broad review of medical evidence is reshaping one of the most heated debates in sports. It does so by targeting the claim that has powered many blanket restrictions for years. After pooling results from 52 studies and thousands of participants, researchers in Brazil reported that transgender women had greater lean mass than cisgender women, but not greater physical capacity. Across the data they examined, they found no meaningful differences in upper-body strength, lower-body strength, or aerobic fitness between the two groups after hormone therapy. That does not settle the political fight. It does, however, narrow the scientific one. The paper, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, reviewed research on body composition and physical fitness in transgender people receiving gender-affirming hormone therapy. In their analysis, they covered 6,099 individuals overall. This included 2,566 transgender women, 2,646 transgender men, 442 cisgender women and 445 cisgender men. Forty-two studies were included in the meta-analysis. In 1977, Renee Richards competed in women’s tennis as a trans woman and reached the doubles final in the US Open. …

The Gavel: Republicans exude confidence on Supreme Court transgender athlete ruling 

The Gavel: Republicans exude confidence on Supreme Court transgender athlete ruling 

Published by Sam Flores

A note for Gavel readers: The Gavel is becoming part of The Hill Insider — our new premium access digital subscription launching July 2026. As a Hill Insider subscriber, your weekly legal and policy briefing continues, now with live editor calls, exclusive analysis, and direct access to the journalists covering the cases and decisions that… Source link

Pentagon policy illegally banned transgender troops from military, appeals court rules : NPR

Pentagon policy illegally banned transgender troops from military, appeals court rules : NPR

Published by Sam Flores

FILE – U.S. Army soldiers cross a floating bridge on the Imjin River during a joint river-crossing exercise between South Korea and the United States as a part of the Freedom Shield military exercise in Yeoncheon, South Korea, March 20, 2025. Ahn Young-joon/AP hide caption toggle caption Ahn Young-joon/AP WASHINGTON — A Pentagon policy illegally banned transgender troops from military service, a divided panel of federal appeal court judges ruled on Monday in another legal setback for President Donald Trump’s sweeping agenda. The majority opinion — by a three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia circuit — held that the Trump administration’s policy was designed to exclude people from the military based on their gender identity. The ban remains in effect. The U.S. Supreme Court allowed the Pentagon to start enforcing it last year, as litigation continues to plays out. The panel’s new ruling would keep the military from kicking out current service members named in the lawsuit, but wouldn’t allow new transgender recruits to join. The judges put …

Seattle To Declare “State Of Emergency” To Protect Transgender Refugees?

Seattle To Declare “State Of Emergency” To Protect Transgender Refugees?

Published by Jenni Sidey

The ultimate claim to victimhood is the claim that a group of people are “refugees” from mass persecution or “genocide.”  The political left covets this victim status more than anything else because, within first world liberal societies, refugees have immediate political capital and access to easy money.  Within every leftist narrative there is an agenda for power and a life without adult responsibility. It is perhaps ironic that thousands of progressive activists and LGBT advocates are leaving red states over imaginary oppression after they spent years attacking conservatives for escaping blue states over very real medical tyranny.  At least conservatives never called themselves “refugees.”  Leftists specifically believe their rights are being violated in red states because conservative governments won’t allow them to mutilate their children with hormone therapy and sex change surgeries.  This nightmare trend, which is increasingly proven by science to have a detrimental effect on the minds and health of the people who undergo gender therapies, is still heavily protected in leftist havens like Seattle. For reasonable and sane people still living in the …

Abortion, Israel and homosexuality top clergy’s political topics, survey finds

Abortion, Israel and homosexuality top clergy’s political topics, survey finds

Published by Sam Flores

(RNS) — Two-thirds of U.S. adults who regularly attend religious services say their clergy have spoken about at least one key political issue — most prominently, abortion, Israel or homosexuality — in recent months. But what clergypersons say about such topics varies depending on their viewpoint, and sometimes, their religious affiliation, the Pew Research Center found in a survey published Wednesday (May 27). Researchers asked about a total of seven political or social topics — including immigration, U.S. military action in Iran, the environment and people who are transgender. “When people do hear the clergy speak about these topics, they report that they tend to hear more about opposing abortion than supporting abortion rights, opposing homosexuality than encouraging acceptance of people who are gay or lesbian, supporting Israel than criticizing it,” Becka Alper, a senior researcher at Pew, told Religion News Service. The findings are based on a survey conducted in April of 1,391 U.S. adults who say they attend religious services at least once or twice a month. Certain topics figured more prominently in …

Idaho Christians push back on transgender bathroom law

Idaho Christians push back on transgender bathroom law

Published by Sam Flores

(FāVS News) — The predominantly Christian Idaho Legislature recently passed a law banning transgender people from using sex-segregated bathrooms that align with their gender identity, but some Christian leaders in the state argue that the law is not Christian-like at all. The statute, which goes into effect in July, requires transgender people to only use bathrooms, changing rooms or similar facilities that align with their sex at birth — no matter what gender they identify as.   Although the measure was passed in March by legislators who start many meetings with a Christian prayer, not all Christians believe the law represents their faith.  “To hear that the state was actually trying to roll us back in history, instead of move us forward into a spirit of inclusion, was incredibly disheartening,” said Josh Lee, senior pastor with Boise First United Church of Christ.  The bill doesn’t only affect government spaces like city halls and libraries, but also applies to privately owned places that are generally open for the public, such as stores and religious venues.  Pastor Bob Lewis …

Transgender individuals face higher rates of discrimination and violence than cisgender sexual minorities

Transgender individuals face higher rates of discrimination and violence than cisgender sexual minorities

Published by José Betancourt

Transgender people report higher rates of discrimination and violence across Europe compared to individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual. These disparities remain relatively consistent regardless of how progressive a country’s national equality laws might be. The findings were published in the International Journal of Transgender Health. For decades, academic and demographic studies have grouped sexual and gender minority populations together under a single umbrella. This broad categorization assumes a shared set of social challenges. However, lumping diverse populations together can obscure the specific risks faced by distinct groups. Public and political opposition to transgender rights has intensified across several countries in recent years. During this same period, legal rights regarding sexual orientation and same-sex partnerships have generally advanced. Because of this diverging political landscape, researchers wanted to isolate the specific experiences of transgender people. Jacob Evje, a researcher at the University of Oslo in Norway, led the investigation alongside his colleagues Sam Fluit and Tilmann von Soest. The research team aimed to identify exactly how everyday encounters with prejudice differ between gender minorities …

Public support for transgender women in sports dropped significantly between 2019 and 2024

Public support for transgender women in sports dropped significantly between 2019 and 2024

Published by José Betancourt

A recent study published in Political Research Quarterly provides evidence that public support for transgender women participating in women’s sports declined substantially between 2019 and 2024. The research suggests this shift is linked to political messaging that frames transgender women as a threat to female athletes, particularly influencing conservative voters. These findings highlight how laws originally designed to prevent discrimination can be reinterpreted to exclude newly visible minority groups. Political scientists James N. Druckman and Elizabeth A. Sharrow conducted the study to understand how society decides who belongs to specific protected groups. In the United States, certain groups receive legal protections based on their social identities, such as race, religion, or sex. When new groups seek recognition and legal protection, debates often arise over the exact boundaries of these categories. The researchers base their work on the theory of social categorization. This concept outlines how people understand who belongs to a marginalized group. This process involves a person’s individual identity, how society perceives that person, and how legal institutions define the group. When these three …

L.G.B.T.Q. Community Expresses Hesitancy About Hungary’s New Leader

L.G.B.T.Q. Community Expresses Hesitancy About Hungary’s New Leader

Published by Sam Flores

new video loaded: L.G.B.T.Q. Community Expresses Hesitancy About Hungary’s New Leader transcript Back transcript L.G.B.T.Q. Community Expresses Hesitancy About Hungary’s New Leader After years of anti-L.G.B.T.Q. policies, members of the queer community in Hungary were cautiously hopeful that Peter Magyar’s win over Viktor Orban’s Fidesz party could bring about change. “I would say definitely there is hope in the community that something will change, but also a lot of uncertainty.” “It wasn’t anymore about L.G.B.T.Q. rights, it was about the right to gather, which is in any democratic state, it’s a very basic human right.” “That was interpreted by the L.G.B.T.Q.I. community to mean that he stands up for L.G.B.T.Q. rights, but it’s a very vague message.” “I don’t want to feel worried right now because I feel that it would take away from me and from all of us this joyful moment. But I want to be cautious, and I’m closely going to pay attention on how he is going to use this opportunity that he got from us.” After years of anti-L.G.B.T.Q. policies, …

Transgender Darts Pro Says She ‘Just Got Retired’ by Governing Body’s Policy Change

Transgender Darts Pro Says She ‘Just Got Retired’ by Governing Body’s Policy Change

Published by Sam Flores

LONDON (AP) — A transgender darts player said she’s “not done fighting” after the sport’s governing body enacted rules barring transgender women from women’s tournaments. Noa-Lynn van Leuven of the Netherlands spoke out Thursday when the Darts Regulation Authority’s new policy took effect. “Apparently, I just got retired — not by choice, but because I’m no longer allowed to compete,” Van Leuven said in a video on her Instagram account. The 29-year-old van Leuven had competed in the Women’s Series of the Professional Darts Corporation. In 2024, she became the first transgender woman to play at the PDC World Darts Championship. “I’ve worked so damn hard for years just to get here. I showed up, I competed. I respected the sport every game, every single day,” van Leuven said. “And now, with just one decision, I’m being told I don’t belong anymore. This isn’t just about me. This is another huge hit for the trans community.” She will still be eligible for open PDC events. It’s not clear what van Leuven’s legal options are, but …