Maya Reddy

Title IX has evolved from prohibiting sex discrimination in sports to perpetuating it among LGBTQ+ athletes. In many ways, sports are a performative proving ground for strength. Within this context, discriminatory and exclusionary efforts make sense, as they stem from efforts to preserve the symbol of strength that sports stand for by excluding those who are either perceived as “weak” or as a “threat” to the norms in sports.

Restricting transgender athletes from teams that align with their gender identity limits opportunities for all children to play and be their true selves. June 2, 2021 Growing up in a small, rural, predominantly white town in Northern California, playing sports gave me space to explore my identity, to discover who I was, and to find empowerment that was not defined by being targeted as a brown kid, an Indian kid, a girl. As I got older, sports were where I found myself.