{"id":4196,"date":"2023-04-24T11:41:27","date_gmt":"2023-04-24T15:41:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/?p=4196"},"modified":"2023-04-25T14:46:44","modified_gmt":"2023-04-25T18:46:44","slug":"breaking-barriers-transgender-athletes-in-collegiate-sports","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/spring-2023\/breaking-barriers-transgender-athletes-in-collegiate-sports\/","title":{"rendered":"Breaking Barriers: Transgender Athletes in Collegiate Sports"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"728\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Sociology-Art-Collage-728x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4202\" srcset=\"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Sociology-Art-Collage-728x1024.png 728w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Sociology-Art-Collage-213x300.png 213w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Sociology-Art-Collage-768x1081.png 768w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Sociology-Art-Collage-1000x1407.png 1000w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Sociology-Art-Collage-230x324.png 230w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Sociology-Art-Collage-350x493.png 350w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Sociology-Art-Collage-480x676.png 480w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Sociology-Art-Collage.png 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 728px) 100vw, 728px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Swimmer Lia Thomas made waves after placing first in the 500-yard freestyle at the NCAA Division I Women\u2019s Swimming Championships, becoming the first transgender woman to win a national championship (Shermer, 2022). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lia competed on the University of Pennsylvania\u2019s men&#8217;s swim team from 2017 to 2020 and its women&#8217;s swim team from 2021 to 2022 (Bonesteel, 2022). She set pool, school, and Ivy League records, quickly becoming a powerful, path-breaking, and controversial figure in collegiate sports.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite her impressive accomplishments, she has faced public backlash and consistent transphobic rhetoric in the media. In a recent interview with ESPN and ABC News, Lia explained, \u201cPeople will say, oh, she just transitioned so she would have an advantage, so she could win. I transitioned to be happy, to be true to myself\u201d (Chang, 2022). Lia\u2019s experiences reveal the challenges that collegiate transgender athletes experience at large and the public scrutiny they face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"638\" src=\"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Image-1-1-1024x638.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4222\" srcset=\"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Image-1-1-1024x638.png 1024w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Image-1-1-300x187.png 300w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Image-1-1-768x478.png 768w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Image-1-1-1536x957.png 1536w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Image-1-1-1000x623.png 1000w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Image-1-1-230x143.png 230w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Image-1-1-350x218.png 350w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Image-1-1-480x299.png 480w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Image-1-1.png 1814w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Penn senior Lia Thomas won 500-yard freestyle races at the NCAA Women&#8217;s Swimming and Diving Championships.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Institutional Biological Policy<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The experiences and difficulties of transgender athletes remain poorly understood by much of society. The world of sports is rooted in the presumption that individuals easily fit into the categories of female and male (Krane et al, 2012). This may seem manageable for most; however, transgender individuals face unique challenges posed by this binary presumption of gender (Phipps, 2021).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Whereas some praise Lia\u2019s accolades as a milestone for transgender athletes, others discredit her accomplishments, arguing that she has anatomic and physiologic advantages over a biological woman (Safer, 2022). The foundation of this argument derives from the fact that transgender women have a greater amount of testosterone, a stronger physical stature, and a higher aerobic capacity, on average, which allows them to perform better than cisgender women (Safer, 2022). USA Swimming disclosed that \u201cthe top-ranked female in 2021, on average, would be ranked 536th across all short course yards (25 yards) male events in the country\u201d (Bonesteel, 2022<em>).<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Due to these physical differences, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) mandates that transgender women maintain serum testosterone levels below 5 nanomoles per liter (nmol\/L) and be treated with hormone-lowering medical regimens for at least 1 year prior to competition (<em>Transgender Student-Athlete Participation Policy<\/em>).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">The Price of Success<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As Lia\u2019s victories accumulate, she continues to face publicized hatred. The criticism and backlash range from genuine concern about competitive fairness to blatant transphobia (Shermer 2022). These transphobic tweets create pressure for transgender athletes to conform to traditional gender norms to avoid harassment and embarrassment (Phipps 2021).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After tying Riley Gaines, a former swimmer for the University of Kentucky, in the 2022 NCAA Championships, Lia began to receive hateful and transphobic backlash on Twitter and other platforms. Tweets like these cause transgender athletes to feel social isolation, marginalization, and a decreased sense of connectedness (Caudwell, 2021). Transphobic critiques in collegiate sports can make it hard for those athletes grappling with their gender identity and potentially deter athletes from expressing who they really are. Failure to recognize Lia for who she is is just the tip of the transphobic iceberg deeply rooted in collegiate sports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"381\" src=\"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Image-2-1024x381.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4223\" srcset=\"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Image-2-1024x381.png 1024w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Image-2-300x112.png 300w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Image-2-768x286.png 768w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Image-2-1536x572.png 1536w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Image-2-1000x372.png 1000w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Image-2-230x86.png 230w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Image-2-350x130.png 350w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Image-2-480x179.png 480w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Image-2.png 1838w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Riley Gaines (Former University of Kentucky Swimmer) Tweet Directed at Lia Thomas, ESPN, and the NCAA<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"380\" src=\"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Image-3-1024x380.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4224\" srcset=\"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Image-3-1024x380.png 1024w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Image-3-300x111.png 300w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Image-3-768x285.png 768w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Image-3-1536x570.png 1536w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Image-3-1000x371.png 1000w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Image-3-230x85.png 230w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Image-3-350x130.png 350w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Image-3-480x178.png 480w, https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Image-3.png 1876w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Riley Gaines (Former University of Kentucky Swimmer) Tweet Directed at Transgender Athletes.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Moving Forward\u2026<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite the polarizing coverage in the media, one positive result of Lia\u2019s experiences is that it has shed light on this social issue and can allow other transgender athletes to recognize that they are not alone. Lia says in an interview with <em>Sports Illustrated<\/em>: \u201cI just want to show trans kids and younger trans athletes that they&#8217;re not alone. They don&#8217;t have to choose between who they are and the sport they love\u201d (Cash, 2022).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Collegiate sports offer a co-curricular opportunity that complements academics; the true spirit is about collaboration and enjoyment. Disparaging and belittling transgender athletes can take away the joy and pride that comes with participating in collegiate athletics (Hargie, 2017). Wherever the line is drawn regarding participation, society must end transphobia in sports and change antiquated beliefs about who and what a true athlete should be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>References:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bianchi A. (2017). Transgender Women in Sport. <em>Journal of the Philosophy of Sport<\/em>. 2017;44(2):229-242. doi:10.1080\/00948705.2017.1317602.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Birle, J. (2023). <em>Riley Gaines says Lia Thomas &#8216;stole a national title&#8217;<\/em>. Restoring America. Retrieved March 28, 2023, from washingtonexaminer.com\/restoring-america\/equality-not-elitism\/riley-gaines-says-lia-thomas-stole-national-title.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bonesteel, M. (2022). \u201cUSA Swimming issues new policy for transgender athletes in Elite Competition.\u201d <em>The Washington Post.<\/em> washingtonpost.com\/sports\/2022\/02\/01\/usa-swimming-transgender-policy\/.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cash, M. (2022). \u201cPenn Swimmer Lia Thomas Wants to Show Trans Kids They &#8216;Don&#8217;t Have to Choose between Who They Are and the Sport They Love&#8217;.\u201d <em>Insider<\/em>, insider.com\/penn-swimmer-lia-thomas-inspire-transgender-kids-sports-2022-3.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Caudwell J. (2021). Queering indoor swimming in the UK: Transgender and non-binary wellbeing. <em>Journal of Sport and Social Issues<\/em>, 46(4), 338\u2013362. doi.org\/10.1177\/01937235211043648.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Chang, Juju (2022). \u201cLia Thomas; The Interview.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hao, Steven (2022). \u201cNCAA Swimming holds fast on transgender student-athlete eligibility, Lia Thomas to swim at ivies, NCAA Swimming Holds Fast on Transgender Student-Athlete Eligibility, Lia Thomas to Swim at Ivies.\u201d <em>The Columbia Journal of Law &amp; the Arts<\/em>. journals.library.columbia.edu\/index.php\/lawandarts\/announcement\/view\/504.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hargie, Owen (2017). \u201cPeople have a knack of making you feel excluded if they catch on to your difference\u2019: Transgender experiences of exclusion in sport\u201d <em>Journal of the Sociology of Sport, <\/em>Volume 52<em>,<\/em> doi.org\/10.1177\/1012690215583283.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Krane, et al (2012). \u201cBroken Binaries and Transgender Athletes: Challenging Sex and Gender in Sports,\u201d <em>Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in Sport<\/em> (pp. 13-23). Center for Sport Management Research and Education.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Phipps, Catherine (2021). \u201cThinking beyond the binary: Barriers to trans* participation in university sport.\u201d <em>Journal of the Sociology of Sport<\/em>, Volume 56, doi.org\/i1.o0r.g1\/107.171\/1770\/1206129609201291898899621\/.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Safer, Joshua (2022). \u201cFairness for Transgender People in Sport.\u201d&nbsp; <em>Journal of the Endocrine Society<\/em>, Volume 6, Issue 5. doi.org\/10.1210\/jendso\/bvac035.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shermer, Michael (2022). &#8220;Trans Athletes and Conflicting Rights: Male-to-Female transgender swimmer Lia Thomas from the University of Pennsylvania is crushing the Female competition.&#8221; <em>Skeptic<\/em> [Altadena, CA], vol. 27, no. 1, Wntr 2022, pp. 23+. <em>Gale Academic OneFile<\/em>, link.gale.com\/apps\/doc\/A698308725\/AONE?u=nysl_ce_hamilton&amp;sid=bookmark-AONE&amp;xid=353f1696.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Transgender Student-Athlete Participation Policy<\/em>. NCAA.org. (n.d.). Retrieved March 5, 2023, from ncaa.org\/sports\/2022\/1\/27\/transgender-participation-policy.aspx.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Swimmer Lia Thomas made waves after placing first in the 500-yard freestyle at the NCAA Division I Women\u2019s Swimming Championships, becoming the first transgender woman to win a national championship (Shermer, 2022). Lia competed on the University of Pennsylvania\u2019s men&#8217;s swim team from 2017 to 2020 and its women&#8217;s swim team from 2021 to 2022 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":183,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[207],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4196","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-spring-2023"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Breaking Barriers: Transgender Athletes in Collegiate Sports - Sharing Sociology<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/spring-2023\/breaking-barriers-transgender-athletes-in-collegiate-sports\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Breaking Barriers: Transgender Athletes in Collegiate Sports - Sharing Sociology\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Swimmer Lia Thomas made waves after placing first in the 500-yard freestyle at the NCAA Division I Women\u2019s Swimming Championships, becoming the first transgender woman to win a national championship (Shermer, 2022). Lia competed on the University of Pennsylvania\u2019s men&#8217;s swim team from 2017 to 2020 and its women&#8217;s swim team from 2021 to 2022 [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/spring-2023\/breaking-barriers-transgender-athletes-in-collegiate-sports\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Sharing Sociology\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-04-24T15:41:27+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-04-25T18:46:44+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Sociology-Art-Collage-728x1024.png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Ashlyn Blessey\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Ashlyn Blessey\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\\\/sharingsociology\\\/spring-2023\\\/breaking-barriers-transgender-athletes-in-collegiate-sports\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\\\/sharingsociology\\\/spring-2023\\\/breaking-barriers-transgender-athletes-in-collegiate-sports\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Ashlyn Blessey\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\\\/sharingsociology\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/7df09b68650b710c51f9d0e83c96fe98\"},\"headline\":\"Breaking Barriers: Transgender Athletes in Collegiate Sports\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-04-24T15:41:27+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-04-25T18:46:44+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\\\/sharingsociology\\\/spring-2023\\\/breaking-barriers-transgender-athletes-in-collegiate-sports\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1033,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\\\/sharingsociology\\\/spring-2023\\\/breaking-barriers-transgender-athletes-in-collegiate-sports\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\\\/sharingsociology\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/04\\\/Sociology-Art-Collage-728x1024.png\",\"articleSection\":[\"Spring 2023\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\\\/sharingsociology\\\/spring-2023\\\/breaking-barriers-transgender-athletes-in-collegiate-sports\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\\\/sharingsociology\\\/spring-2023\\\/breaking-barriers-transgender-athletes-in-collegiate-sports\\\/\",\"name\":\"Breaking Barriers: Transgender Athletes in Collegiate Sports - Sharing Sociology\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\\\/sharingsociology\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\\\/sharingsociology\\\/spring-2023\\\/breaking-barriers-transgender-athletes-in-collegiate-sports\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\\\/sharingsociology\\\/spring-2023\\\/breaking-barriers-transgender-athletes-in-collegiate-sports\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\\\/sharingsociology\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/04\\\/Sociology-Art-Collage-728x1024.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-04-24T15:41:27+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-04-25T18:46:44+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\\\/sharingsociology\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/7df09b68650b710c51f9d0e83c96fe98\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\\\/sharingsociology\\\/spring-2023\\\/breaking-barriers-transgender-athletes-in-collegiate-sports\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\\\/sharingsociology\\\/spring-2023\\\/breaking-barriers-transgender-athletes-in-collegiate-sports\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\\\/sharingsociology\\\/spring-2023\\\/breaking-barriers-transgender-athletes-in-collegiate-sports\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\\\/sharingsociology\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/04\\\/Sociology-Art-Collage.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\\\/sharingsociology\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/04\\\/Sociology-Art-Collage.png\",\"width\":1080,\"height\":1520},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\\\/sharingsociology\\\/spring-2023\\\/breaking-barriers-transgender-athletes-in-collegiate-sports\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\\\/sharingsociology\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Breaking Barriers: Transgender Athletes in Collegiate Sports\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\\\/sharingsociology\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\\\/sharingsociology\\\/\",\"name\":\"Sharing Sociology\",\"description\":\"Jaime Kucinskas, Hamilton College\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\\\/sharingsociology\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\\\/sharingsociology\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/7df09b68650b710c51f9d0e83c96fe98\",\"name\":\"Ashlyn Blessey\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/37236674a32fb34eebc2c49a54ce4a3367df925a8dcbc61d00ef84665e6e4395?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/37236674a32fb34eebc2c49a54ce4a3367df925a8dcbc61d00ef84665e6e4395?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/37236674a32fb34eebc2c49a54ce4a3367df925a8dcbc61d00ef84665e6e4395?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Ashlyn Blessey\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\\\/sharingsociology\\\/author\\\/ablessey\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Breaking Barriers: Transgender Athletes in Collegiate Sports - Sharing Sociology","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/spring-2023\/breaking-barriers-transgender-athletes-in-collegiate-sports\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Breaking Barriers: Transgender Athletes in Collegiate Sports - Sharing Sociology","og_description":"Swimmer Lia Thomas made waves after placing first in the 500-yard freestyle at the NCAA Division I Women\u2019s Swimming Championships, becoming the first transgender woman to win a national championship (Shermer, 2022). Lia competed on the University of Pennsylvania\u2019s men&#8217;s swim team from 2017 to 2020 and its women&#8217;s swim team from 2021 to 2022 [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/spring-2023\/breaking-barriers-transgender-athletes-in-collegiate-sports\/","og_site_name":"Sharing Sociology","article_published_time":"2023-04-24T15:41:27+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-04-25T18:46:44+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Sociology-Art-Collage-728x1024.png","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"author":"Ashlyn Blessey","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Ashlyn Blessey","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/spring-2023\/breaking-barriers-transgender-athletes-in-collegiate-sports\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/spring-2023\/breaking-barriers-transgender-athletes-in-collegiate-sports\/"},"author":{"name":"Ashlyn Blessey","@id":"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/#\/schema\/person\/7df09b68650b710c51f9d0e83c96fe98"},"headline":"Breaking Barriers: Transgender Athletes in Collegiate Sports","datePublished":"2023-04-24T15:41:27+00:00","dateModified":"2023-04-25T18:46:44+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/spring-2023\/breaking-barriers-transgender-athletes-in-collegiate-sports\/"},"wordCount":1033,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/spring-2023\/breaking-barriers-transgender-athletes-in-collegiate-sports\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Sociology-Art-Collage-728x1024.png","articleSection":["Spring 2023"],"inLanguage":"en"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/spring-2023\/breaking-barriers-transgender-athletes-in-collegiate-sports\/","url":"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/spring-2023\/breaking-barriers-transgender-athletes-in-collegiate-sports\/","name":"Breaking Barriers: Transgender Athletes in Collegiate Sports - Sharing Sociology","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/spring-2023\/breaking-barriers-transgender-athletes-in-collegiate-sports\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/spring-2023\/breaking-barriers-transgender-athletes-in-collegiate-sports\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Sociology-Art-Collage-728x1024.png","datePublished":"2023-04-24T15:41:27+00:00","dateModified":"2023-04-25T18:46:44+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/#\/schema\/person\/7df09b68650b710c51f9d0e83c96fe98"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/spring-2023\/breaking-barriers-transgender-athletes-in-collegiate-sports\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/spring-2023\/breaking-barriers-transgender-athletes-in-collegiate-sports\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en","@id":"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/spring-2023\/breaking-barriers-transgender-athletes-in-collegiate-sports\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Sociology-Art-Collage.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Sociology-Art-Collage.png","width":1080,"height":1520},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/spring-2023\/breaking-barriers-transgender-athletes-in-collegiate-sports\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Breaking Barriers: Transgender Athletes in Collegiate Sports"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/#website","url":"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/","name":"Sharing Sociology","description":"Jaime Kucinskas, Hamilton College","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/#\/schema\/person\/7df09b68650b710c51f9d0e83c96fe98","name":"Ashlyn Blessey","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/37236674a32fb34eebc2c49a54ce4a3367df925a8dcbc61d00ef84665e6e4395?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/37236674a32fb34eebc2c49a54ce4a3367df925a8dcbc61d00ef84665e6e4395?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/37236674a32fb34eebc2c49a54ce4a3367df925a8dcbc61d00ef84665e6e4395?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Ashlyn Blessey"},"url":"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/author\/ablessey\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4196","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/183"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4196"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4196\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4196"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4196"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/soc.hamiltonlits.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4196"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}