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As the debate over transgender athletes in women’s sports intensifies, Americans who spoke with Digital offered sharply divided views on whether transgender women should be allowed to compete against female athletes.
“It’s all right if you wanna be what you wanna be, but you shouldn’t be competing against a woman and you’re a man,” a Washington, D.C. local resident said. “Biologically, it’s an advantage.”
Another person disagreed.
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Protesters against transgender athletes competing in women’s sports gathered outside the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 13, 2026, as two cases about transgender girls joining girls’ and women’s sports teams were heard inside the court. (Heather Diehl/Getty Images)
“I feel like a transgender woman should be able to play in women’s sports,” another person told Digital. “They might have been a man before, but they’re trans. They’re changing into a woman, so why not play a woman’s sport? Like they’re not gonna let her play men’s sports.”
The participation of transgender athletes in women’s sports has long been debated, particularly discussing claims there is an unfair advantage posed when biological men are able to compete at the same level as women — with critics pointing to the physiological differences among males and females.
“It’s a little bit of an unfair advantage,” Theresa from Virginia said.
“I don’t think it really makes sense because a man is more physically fit than a woman,” the D.C. resident said. “Automatically stronger than a woman.”
But those in favor of allowing transgender athletes to compete in the league of the gender they currently identify with argue the movement to ban biological men from competing in women’s sports is part of a targeted attack against transgender people.
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It is also argued that biological advantages are differentiated by the specific genetics of every individual rather than an entire gender.
“I see why they’re saying that because they could be stronger than a woman,” one said about the potential safety risks at play.
She continued, “But at the same time, like, girls are strong.”
The debate has also spilled into professional basketball after Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham indicated that she is against biological men competing in women’s sports, according to a recent ESPN article.
“I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans,” Cunningham said to ESPN. “And I’m like, ‘I never once said that.’ I think that I am here to extend love.”
She continued, “But I also think with that love is truth, being honest. And I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men.”
Cunningham brushed aside the backlash and doubled down on her comments calling it “common sense.”
WNBPA ISSUES STATEMENT EMBRACING DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION AMID TRANS ATHLETE DEBATE IN WOMEN’S SPORTS
The Women’s National Basketball Player’s Association (WNBPA) put out a statement praising the different backgrounds of all its players, stating that while difficult conversations will be continued in the league, “we will not be political pawns.”
The statement also came after Cunningham’s comments and as former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom announced that he was declaring for the WNBA draft, arguing he meets all the eligibility requirements and simply just needs to identify as a woman.
“I think that it’s crazy,” the D.C. resident said about a biological man being able to compete in the WNBA. “I think that a lot of people just say that they’re women just to go compete against women to make themselves look good.”
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“They’re just getting outrageous with this rainbow stuff,” he said.
