Why don't transsexuals dominate women's sports?
Golfer Lana Lawless sues to compete as a woman. A recent report says there's no evidence she'd have an advantage
By Tracy Clark-Flory
http://www.salon.com/life/broadsheet/2010/10/13/trans_athletes/index.htmlProfessional golfer Lana Lawless just wants to keep competing as a woman. The 57-year-old won the women's world championship in long-drive golf in 2008, but she was recently excluded from the competition when the tournament adopted the "female at birth" policy of the Ladies Professional Golf Association. You see, Lawless is a transgender woman: She was born biologically male and underwent gender reassignment in 2005. Now she's suing the LPGA on the grounds that its guidelines violate civil rights.
But, you might ask, what about the rights of biological female athletes? Don't male-to-female transsexuals have a competitive edge? We divide athletic competitions by gender because of inherent biological differences in size and strength, right? Even the most liberal-minded among us -- OK, yes, I'm talking about myself -- might react to Lawless' suit with some trepidation. It turns out, though, that there is no proof that transgender women have an automatic advantage. A report released earlier this month on transgender student athletes says:
