What is Fairness, Really? A Look at Women's Athletics
Location
Golden Eagles
Department
Philosophy
Abstract
Have you ever heard about the fairness debate within women’s athletics? Over the years, some athletes with naturally high testosterone levels have not been allowed to compete because they are thought to have an unfair advantage in competition. In cases where an athlete has a difference of sexual development (i.e. intersex condition), this would be a natural advantage. But some argue that high testosterone levels do not grant an advantage at all. So, should circulating testosterone levels be used to determine who can compete in women’s athletic competitions? In this talk, I argue that athletes should not be penalized and banned from competition for how their body functions. Furthermore, athletes shouldn’t be pressured into getting surgery or going on medication to “fix” their hormonal levels to compete because doing so can have negative consequences. I will also discuss why, even if the average person doesn’t care about who gets to be at the Olympics or any high athletic competitions, this debate has implications beyond sports and leeches into everyday ideas of gender, race, and sexuality.
Faculty Sponsor
Stacey Goguen, Northeastern Illinois University
What is Fairness, Really? A Look at Women's Athletics
Golden Eagles
Have you ever heard about the fairness debate within women’s athletics? Over the years, some athletes with naturally high testosterone levels have not been allowed to compete because they are thought to have an unfair advantage in competition. In cases where an athlete has a difference of sexual development (i.e. intersex condition), this would be a natural advantage. But some argue that high testosterone levels do not grant an advantage at all. So, should circulating testosterone levels be used to determine who can compete in women’s athletic competitions? In this talk, I argue that athletes should not be penalized and banned from competition for how their body functions. Furthermore, athletes shouldn’t be pressured into getting surgery or going on medication to “fix” their hormonal levels to compete because doing so can have negative consequences. I will also discuss why, even if the average person doesn’t care about who gets to be at the Olympics or any high athletic competitions, this debate has implications beyond sports and leeches into everyday ideas of gender, race, and sexuality.