I/V w/ Otago University researchers on gender binaries in sport: July 17, 2019

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) guidelines that allow male-to-female transgender athletes to compete in the women’s category at the elite level has raised significant debate since being introduced in 2015. Today I spoke to bio-ethicists from the University of Otago, Dr. Taryn Knox, Associate Professor Lynley Anderson and Professor Alison Heather about some research they conducted around the topic. Dr. Knox and Associate Professor Anderson gave some context, while Professor Heather spoke on the science of the research. Admittedly, I have very little knowledge about transgender athletes and indeed, transgender issues in general which is why I felt compelled to conduct this interview in an atempt to find out more. However, when talking to the researchers it became apparent that they could not comment on the social implications their research might have. For this reason, I have cut much of the content simply because keeping it in would add little to the conversation. Two separate interviews were conducted on two separate phone calls, which is why there may be some overlap in relation to the questions I asked. Stay tuned for a follow up on this topic in the following weeks, because the interview primarily explores the science behind transgender athletes, but does not address the issue of identity adequately enough.