In recent years, there is much discussion about the issue of trans-sexual or transgender among the athletes. Multiple individuals, especially those who are active participants have often cited hormonal factors, including high levels of testosterone among trans women as being an unfair advantage in a competitive setting. Others have noted that transgender individuals have advantages in relations to the physical attributes such as weight and height (Olson et al., 2016). The debate, however, has been on the discussion of whether such individuals with enhanced advantages should compete with others who are not of the same sex grouping. The debate advocates that such individuals be accorded opportunities to compete with athletes who are of similar sex verification testing, biological sex, and have regulations related to other athletes. All these factors focus on ensuring that such individuals enjoy fair competition. The more criticism of transgender individuals has been directed towards trans-women athletes.
According to many people who are critical of the issue, men are regarded to be inherently more athletic, faster, and stronger as compared to the female counterparts. Therefore, a trans-sexual woman will have such added advantages. Secondly, trans women are seen as primary men who are acting in pretense to participate in feminine sports (Mustanski, Andrews, & Puckett, 2016). Such factors continue to create open criticism much to the expense of the affected individuals. The public condemnation and criticism of trans-sexual athletes have often had the psychological, physical, and emotional wellbeing of the affected individuals. Therefore, this contemporary review paper outlines the likely psychological effect of discrimination of transgender athletes by their gender. The critical review will help to summarize the recent surveys that focus on the psychological impact on this form of discrimination. The paper also contains the summary of recent cases of discrimination against trans-sexual athletes.
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Evolution of Transgender Issue
The debate on transgender has touched several athletes. The continued discussion on the issue continues to prove costly to many athletes in recent years. One of the current development towards transgender development was in 2003 when the "International Olympic Committee" (IOC), using their medical commission drafted new guidelines. The new measures proposed to have proper regulations and rules for athletes who have undergone sex reassignment surgery (Bhatti & Haq, 2017). The rules cover persons who have gonadectomy and changes in the external genitalia. However, in 2004, the IOC allowed athletes who are transgender to participate in the Olympic Games. The gesture did not reduce discrimination and wrong prejudgment towards individuals of this particular sexual orientation. One perfect example of such development occurred in 2017 when Mack Beggs was discriminated and forced to participate in a different competition. During the time, Mack Beggs was transitioning from female to male, and in so doing, Beggs wished to participate in wrestling competition against boys. However, the organizers forced Beggs to wrestle in the girls’ championship category.
The article by Nicholas Hellen (2018), reveals that the continued oppression and discouragement of full participation of trans-sexual athletes in competition. The report shows that there IOC has formulated strict policy measures that would be in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. These regulations limit athletes to have a particular level of maximum testosterone level, especially for the trans women. These guidelines are shared with the 55 sports federations, including those dealing with wrestling and archery. The new policy aims at reducing the acceptable testosterone level to 5 nanomoles per liter from the previous limit of 10. According to the original, it implies that South Africa's athlete Caster Semenya could be a victim of such measure. The athlete suffers criticism for having heightened levels of male hormones such as testosterone. The implementation of such a policy might cause more psychological harm to the affected individuals.
Literature Discussion and Review
Suicide thoughts
Trans-sexual identity and development among people in society are likely to have a severe psychological effect. The research survey by Jones, Arcelus, Bouman, & Haycraft (2017), note that the lack of conformity and gender tolerance has often resulted in more athletes suffering a psychological breakdown. The open criticism and prejudice towards a transgender increase their chance of developing poor mental strength, and very usually such persons end up considering suicide. Most of the victims are the transgender female individuals who receive open criticism of having a competitive advantage in participating in women sports. Sport organizing committees have also fueled such development as they openly impose measures and more policies that would oversee transgender athletes receive more criticism on the eligibility to participate in a particular competition. According to Jones, Arcelus, Bouman, & Haycraft (2017), these athletes continue to face challenges that often lead to victimization of the participants. The article also cites a survey by Wijsen and Kuyper whereby the results reveal that about 4.6% of individuals who were born as male and 3.2% female in Dutch recorded an ambivalent gender identity upon the time of research. The survey quotes Caitlin Jenner, as a perfect example of former athletes that have suffered for revealing their transgender status.
According to Jones, Arcelus, Bouman, & Haycraft (2017), the increased visibility of transgender individuals can reflect on the gradual increase in reported prejudice and discrimination. The article notes that such a development contributes to psychological breakdown and the victims end up contemplating suicide. The elimination of sports fairness develops the isolation of many members who in turn end up having poor mental health. Suicidal thoughts arise from the failure for the community to address the warning signs or by continued opposition of members of a particular group. In this case, transgender athletes succumb to pressure of criticism to the extent of reaching a breaking point. The article also quotes the experience of Renee Richards, who notes that her criticism as a female athlete led to her contemplating suicide. A similar material relating to this psychological effect is in Fallon Fox (2016). The article in the Times Magazine narrates of how Leelah Alcorn, a 17-year-old ended up committing suicide after constant discouragement. According to Fox (2016), Alcorn’s case is just one of the many unreported cases that trans-sexual individuals continue to face. Transgender athletes are also victims of this development as they also face discrimination and prejudice due to their continued isolation.
Depression
Transgender athletes and individuals who are in our community continue to suffer from frustration and continued discouragement. Depression arises when individuals develop mood-related signs such as poor concentration, loss of appetite, disturbed sleep, feeling of low self-worth, and feeling guilty. According to a survey by Witcomb et al., (2018), depression among transgender persons is a severe psychological condition that requires ideal measures to eliminate it. The research quotes a 2014 survey by Nuttbrock et al., where the findings reveal that factors such as physical and psychological abuse continued to be leveled against transgender athletes and the general trans-sexual community. The pervasive society is the leading cause of depression among the affected individuals. Members of the city including the police, strangers, competitors, teammates, mental health professionals, schoolmates, family members, and coworkers have all played a part in this development. These persons make up the transphobic society that criticizes the transgender individuals, making them develop psychological stress and depression.
The transgender women mostly feel high levels of depression as compared to their male counterparts. Most criticism, name-calling, insults, and unfair treatment are focused on trans women as they are regarded as having added strengths (Witcomb et al., 2018). The research indicates that these trans women also suffer other psychological effects including increased suicide attempts, suicide ideation, and high levels of depression. These individuals reported that they have a high rate of depression, with over 62 percent trans women being victims of lifetime depression condition. Such a quota is high given that in a country like the U.S., only 16.6 percent of people suffer from longtime depression cases (Witcomb et al., 2018). The statistics underpin the initial argument that trans women, especially those in athletics continues to suffer or are at high risk of developing depression. The relatively increased development of this psychological disorder is mainly attributed to the lack of social support for the victims. Individuals who are accorded peer and family support are likely to enjoy from improved health development. However, with the continued rejection, wrongful prejudgment, and unethical treatment of transgender athletes, this condition is bound to worsen.
Social Isolation
Isolation is a crucial psychological effect that results in transgender individuals being segregated because of their gender status. According to research by Matthew Heinz (2018), some issues or debates are dominant in athletics. These include the discussion on fairness, steroids, and gender. The eligibility to participate always comes in two binary distinctions. For example male/female and doped/clean. Such characterization is emphasized if an athlete wishes to participate in any given competition. The rise of some transgender individuals proves a challenge as these individuals end up suffering possible isolation regarding the existing rules. Social isolation mostly affects the mental health of an individual. The lack of acceptance and tolerance among most individuals in the athlete's community makes transgender persons feel isolated. Most of these individuals lose personal contact even with their teammates and rivals as their gender status is used as a tool to isolate them. In the study by Heinz (2018), social isolation is a chronic psychological condition that continues to affect transgender, gay, lesbian, and bisexual (LGBT) individuals. The qualitative and quantitative data analysis indicates that the victims of the wrong prejudgment seek to isolate themselves from the rest of the community. In this survey done in Canada, 44 of the participants acknowledged that indeed social isolation and loneliness was the ultimate effect of criticism due to their gender.
A similar study by Wang et al., (2017), also points out how bias criticism towards LGBT members was leading to deteriorating psychological development. According to this development, athletes and other persons who are transgender lack the necessary backing and support from their peers and teammates. A good example is a case involving Fallon Fox, a transgender athlete who was openly criticized by her judo rival, Ronda Rousey. According to Rousey’s outburst, “Fox was a man and even after trying feminine hormones, her bone structures would remain masculine” (Wang et al., 2017). Such utterances create a very sterile environment for transgender athletes. The study notes that social isolation becomes a recipe for the development of personality disorder. According to the indication, such an event is likely to have a long-term development of psychosis. In case the socially isolated individuals fail to seek help from psychologists and psychiatrists, they are susceptible to developing psychosis; which is a mental disorder that is characterized by the inability to discern reality. Therefore, human beings are meant to socialize amongst themselves, and when the wrong prejudgement of transgender occurs, it prevents such development. The resulting factor is the psychological development of social isolation and the feeling of loneliness.
Gender Dysphoria
The rise in discussion about transgender athletes has led in the relative increase in development of individuals who are transphobic. Gender dysphoria is a psychological development in an individual that ranges from people developing a feeling of dislike and negative attitudes towards the issue of trans-sexuality. Such a mental event often culminates in individuals having distress as a result of their gender and sex. It is a form of pain that often highlights the behavioral and psychological behavior that a person develops when they realize that they are transgender. A 2018 survey by Araysirkul, Wilson, & Raymond restates the likely development of psychological distress in the form of gender dysphoria. According to the study, transgender women are in grave danger to develop this condition. The research indicates that trans women often face systematic and stigma oppression as a result of many people being transphobic. The rising transphobia against such persons is evident in the reduced opportunities to access schooling, low self-evaluation, and denied housing. As indicated by the study, minority status as a result of racial identity and minor sexuality very often contribute to high-stress levels for the affected individuals. The result of this is that the affected persons end up disliking their physical attributes and blame them for all the issues and rejection by the society (Araysirkul, Wilson, & Raymond, 2018).
The development of gender dysphoria is likely due to influence increased open criticism. Most of the transgender persons including athletes often experience psychological breakdown as the public rejection by the community continues to cause more distress — the tendency to develop gender dysphoria among athletes, especially female transgender athletes. The significant criticism makes individuals feel out of place even at home or in the work environment. According to Araysirkul, Wilson, & Raymond (2018), most transgender athletes, especially those who are in the teenage phase, are likely to experience high levels of depression, social isolation, and loneliness. Most of these teenagers suffer hardships in the form of violence and harassment in juvenile justice programs, homeless centers, school, and residential treatment centers. As these athletes reach adult, there are still fewer changes in how the community regards or treat transgender individuals. The survey notes that the victims end up developing personal blame as they see that their physical attributes are to be blamed.
In psychology, personal hatred poses much danger to a person as they might end up abusing drugs or indulging in alcohol binge as a way of getting away from reality. The discussion by Araysirkul, Wilson, & Raymond (2018) is similar to an article by Compete Network (2017). The report provides a real example of how athletes suffer from the development of gender dysphoria. The development of this psychological disorder is very apparent. The article reveals that in 314 individuals investigated, 62 percent had inheritable mental disorder arising from the gender dysphoria. The report also provides an example of how distressing transgender can be on an individual. The quoted athlete, in this case, is Chris Mosier, who is known for his triathlete and being a transgender advocate. During the early years, Chris suffered humiliation due to failure to of having a proper gender identity. Such a development affected his growth as he blamed his bio-sexual personality for the rejection and open criticism.
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
The open prejudice and criticism of trans-sexual athletes are also likely to influence a severe psychological effect in the form of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). When an individual is actively participating in competitions, they often encounter traumatic experiences that include open rejection and humiliation due to their unresolved gender status. The victims usually end up becoming disoriented, and this experience ends up repeating itself in the form of severe anxiety, nightmares, and flashbacks. The 2017 survey by Reisner et al., provides a clear illustration of how discriminatory experiences often leads to the development of PTSD. The study notes that open discrimination against the most transgender population is to blame as a significant burden facing trans-sexual individuals including those who are active in athletics.
According to Reisner et al., (2017), transgender individuals often encounter high levels of violence, discrimination, and prejudice. The article notes that a 2011 survey by Grant revealed that in 6,000 U.S. transgender individuals, only 37 percent had little or no discriminatory experience due to their gender status. The other 63 percent noted that they had suffered a life-impairing or emotionally disturbing expertise as a result of revealing their trans-sexual condition. These persons indicate that they had undergone either acute or chronic experiences that included victimization and interpersonal rejection. In addition to this, these individuals are susceptible to being victims of sexual assault and physical violence. Such experiences make it difficult and can be causing factors of PTSD among the trans-sexual athletes in the community.
PTSD is a perfect issue that results from the prevalence of discrimination against transgender people (Reisner et al., 2017). The article notes that in general, about 6.8% of citizens in the U.S. suffer PTSD. Among the 6.8 percent, about 19 to 61 percent of individuals who were transgender experienced this condition. This high percentage reveals the apparent correlation that exists between PTSD and transgender status of individuals. These four symptoms can explain the analysis and possible relationship of these two elements: possible avoidance of the factors leading to the event and re-experiencing or persistence of intrusive thoughts. The other two elements areas include negative mood or cognition and change in reactivity or arousal. The latter can consist of the self-destructive reckless behavior, exaggerated startle response, irritability, and hypervigilance. In other words, all these factors affect the psychological well-being of an individual. The development can have long-term effects as it is likely to result in the event of PTSD.
Poor Mental Functionality
Multiple studies relating to prejudice towards a particular group reveals that there exists a psychological effect on deteriorating mental health. The same can be said to transgender athletes who develop poor health conditions as a result of increased development. According to current statistics, about 0.03 to 0.05 percent of the global population comprises of members who are members of the transgender community. Although this population is significantly small, most of the members are subjected to violence, open discrimination, and rejection by other members of society. Such an experience might cause poor mental health as an individual will suffer stigmatization. The development might also worsen with such person becoming victims of prejudicial treatment. According to Hughto, Reisner, & Pachankis (2016), stigmatization of trans-sexual athletes is likely to result in poor mental health. The continued rejection of human differences, stereotyping, and labeling all contribute to people feeling that society is being hard on them. The precise outcome from this becomes stress and painful thoughts as the affected individuals attempt to try and overcome the burden placed on them by society.
Poor mental health is also evident in the survey by Wilson et al., (2016). The study notes that transgender women are more susceptible to poor mental health as compared to their male counterparts. The conducted logistic model analysis on transgender female youth in San Francisco provides an interesting twist towards the issue of mental health of the participants. According to the findings, a transgender individual who had suffered from discrimination revealed an existing correlation with multiple conditions that are associated with poor health. According to the results, depression, suicidal thoughts, and PTSD were all closely related with individuals who had suffered discrimination and prejudicial profiling due to their transgender status. Therefore, one psychological effect of adverse treatment of transgender athletes is that they end up suffering from poor mental health.
Conclusion
The issue of transgender or transgender among athletes has led to the rise of a debate about the issue. Many people have developed open criticism against trans-sexual sportspersons. Some of the critics cite that transgender individuals have added advantage thus creating unfair competition. The problem has evolved as new policies have been formulated. However, despite such regulations, transgender athletes continue to suffer from different forms of discrimination. One such consequence is the psychological effect that such a development has on an athlete. According to the analysis of the recent surveys, it is evident that partial and immoral judgment against these athletes has multiple psychological setbacks. Such a delay might affect the productivity level and act as a hindrance to the full participation of transgender athletes — one such development of suicidal thoughts for the affected individuals.
A perfect example is the experience of Renee Richards, in which she considered suicide as the only way to overcome negative setbacks. The other effect is the development of PTSD. Traumatic experience when a transgender athlete participates in competition can help eventually to have a long-term impact on an individual. The different effect is the high tendency of suffering from depression, low self-esteem, anxiety, and poor interpersonal relations. Lastly, the development is likely to cause poor mental health among the affected individuals as they continue to reflect on the painful experiences.
References
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