Perceptions of Fairness and Competitiveness Amongst Trans Athletes
Location
Bent Corridor, Science Center
Document Type
Poster - Open Access
Start Date
5-1-2026 12:00 PM
End Date
5-1-2026 2:00 PM
Abstract
Recent years have seen a rise in discourse concerning the participation of transgender athletes in collegiate sports. Since 2020, 23 US states enacted laws barring transgender athletes from competing in sports on teams aligned with their gender identity. In February of 2025, President Trump signed an executive order banning transgender women from competing in women’s collegiate sports. This policy was adopted by the NCAA. This study evaluated perceptions towards transgender women competing in collegiate athletics. In this 2x2 between participants’ design study, (n = 216) Prolific participants read a vignette about a college sprinter where the identity (transgender or cisgender woman) and the performance of the athlete (fast or slow) were manipulated. Participants were then asked questions regarding their perspectives on the athlete and transgender athlete generally. Results revealed that transgender sprinters were perceived as significantly less fair than cisgender sprinters, but this effect was amplified for top performing transgender athletes. Participants rated transgender sprinters higher in athletic ability than cisgender sprinters, regardless of their performance. Of note, participants who read about a transgender athlete then expressed greater levels of prejudice, and expressed higher levels of perceived realistic threats about transgender individuals than participants who read about a cisgender athlete regardless of the performance of the athlete. Our results suggest that transgender women in athletics are viewed as more athletic regardless of their performance, elicit more realistic threats, greater levels of prejudice, and are viewed as being more unfair. Understanding these patterns allows for dismantling patterns of transphobia within collegiate athletics.
Keywords:
Transgender, Athletics, Identity
Recommended Citation
Freifeld, Roxie; Steggall, Ryley; Holder, Norah; and Totton, Rebecca, "Perceptions of Fairness and Competitiveness Amongst Trans Athletes" (2026). Research Symposium. 22.
https://digitalcommons.oberlin.edu/researchsymp/2026/posters/22
Major
Psychology
Project Mentor(s)
Rebecca Totton, Psychology
2026
Perceptions of Fairness and Competitiveness Amongst Trans Athletes
Bent Corridor, Science Center
Recent years have seen a rise in discourse concerning the participation of transgender athletes in collegiate sports. Since 2020, 23 US states enacted laws barring transgender athletes from competing in sports on teams aligned with their gender identity. In February of 2025, President Trump signed an executive order banning transgender women from competing in women’s collegiate sports. This policy was adopted by the NCAA. This study evaluated perceptions towards transgender women competing in collegiate athletics. In this 2x2 between participants’ design study, (n = 216) Prolific participants read a vignette about a college sprinter where the identity (transgender or cisgender woman) and the performance of the athlete (fast or slow) were manipulated. Participants were then asked questions regarding their perspectives on the athlete and transgender athlete generally. Results revealed that transgender sprinters were perceived as significantly less fair than cisgender sprinters, but this effect was amplified for top performing transgender athletes. Participants rated transgender sprinters higher in athletic ability than cisgender sprinters, regardless of their performance. Of note, participants who read about a transgender athlete then expressed greater levels of prejudice, and expressed higher levels of perceived realistic threats about transgender individuals than participants who read about a cisgender athlete regardless of the performance of the athlete. Our results suggest that transgender women in athletics are viewed as more athletic regardless of their performance, elicit more realistic threats, greater levels of prejudice, and are viewed as being more unfair. Understanding these patterns allows for dismantling patterns of transphobia within collegiate athletics.
Notes
Presenters: Roxie Freifeld and Ryley Steggall (co-first authors)