Riley Gaines speaks out on NCAA transgender policy concerns

The NCAA recently updated its policy regarding transgender athletes, a change that has sparked intense debate about fairness in women's sports.

This update follows President Donald Trump's executive order, which bans biological males from competing in women's sports. However, upon closer examination, the NCAA's new policy does not entirely block transgender women (biological males) from participating in women's competitions.

The updated policy introduces the concept of "sex assigned at birth" as the criteria for eligibility. According to the NCAA, "sex assigned at birth" refers to the male or female designation given by doctors at birth, which is recorded on a person's birth certificate.

At first glance, this may appear to exclude biological males from competing in women's sports. However, the policy's reliance on birth certificates has raised concerns due to the fact that many states now allow individuals to amend their birth certificates to reflect the gender they identify with.

Riley Gaines has weighed in on the topic

This has become a major point of contention for women's rights advocates, including Riley Gaines, host of OutKick's Gaines For Girls podcast.

Gaines and others argue that the policy allows transgender women to compete in women's sports as long as their birth certificate lists them as female, regardless of their biological sex.

This loophole has led to criticism from athletes such as professional golfer Lauren Miller, who was forced to compete against transgender golfer Hailey Davison, and college volleyball players Sia Liilii (Nevada) and Macy Boggs (Wyoming).

An NCAA spokesperson addressed the issue, stating that the updated policy does not allow waivers. This means that athletes assigned male at birth cannot compete on women's teams with amended birth certificates or other forms of ID.

However, critics, like OutKick's Dan Zaksheske, point out that if the NCAA is using birth certificates as the sole determining factor, they cannot whether a birth certificate has been changed.

Some have suggested that chromosomal testing could be a solution to definitively determine an athlete's sex and prevent biological males from competing in women's sports. However, the NCAA has not indicated any plans to implement such testing, leaving the policy as it stands.

The NCAA's updated policy highlights the ongoing challenge of balancing inclusion with fairness in women's sports.

While the rules aim to accommodate transgender athletes, many feel that they do not do enough to ensure a level playing field. The debate over how to handle transgender athletes in women's sports is likely to continue, as the NCAA and other organizations navigate these complex issues.