On April 6, the NAIA’s Council of Presidents announced a new rule banning transgender females from participating in female athletics. The council, made up of a rotating group of NAIA university presidents, voted unanimously in favor of the ban.
The ban comes after several schools came forward presenting issues with the NAIA’s current policy, which prohibits transgender female participation in female sports only at nationals competitions.
St. Ambrose University President Dr. Amy Novak currently serves as chair of the Council of Presidents. Although she cannot vote herself, Novak did oversee the deliberation and voting processes.
“There were a number of members from the 250 colleges that are represented in the NAIA who approached the Council of Presidents for a review of the past policy and whether or not that policy was sufficient given current data,” described Novak.
The council received data and testimony from several sources, including athletic directors, student-athletes, legal experts, and medical experts. The decision was tough to make as data surrounding the topic of transgender female participation in female sports is very inconclusive at the moment.
“The tough part of transgender athleticism is that there is virtually no longitudinal data that has more than five to seven athletes [involved in the study]. That data is also not necessarily even. For example, some of the data may reflect people who have had a certain form of hormone treatment and others who have a different form. So there’s just not a lot of scientific data on the impact of varied hormone treatments on athlete performance,” detailed Novak.
Novak expressed that the ban is intended to promote athletic fairness, safety, and inclusivity for all parties. The decision has come with a lot of backlash from those from within the LGBTQ community.
Amber Warak is a junior member of the St. Ambrose swimming and diving team. They also identify as non-binary and are a member of SAU’s Promoting Respect in Sexual Minorities, or PRISM. Although she is not affected by the ban, as a member of PRISM and the LGBTQ community, Warak wanted to share her thoughts.
Warak believes that the advantage that transgender females are perceived to have is something that could be said about any athlete, cisgender or transgender.
“Everybody is biologically different. Everybody has innate advantages and disadvantages just from being born. That’s just the way we are in sports. Everyone has different [abilities] that make them unique and special,” said Warak.
Warak also pointed out the important role sports can play in feeling accepted to transgender individuals.
“The suicide rate for trans and non-binary individuals is extremely high, and the easiest way to lower that rate is just acceptance. So being able to participate in any activity, like sports, that validates them and their gender identity is the easiest way to reduce that suicide rate,” Warak expressed.
According to a 2023 study by UCLA’s Williams Institute, nearly 42 percent of transgender adults have attempted suicide, while 81 percent have thought about suicide.
Warak also believes that the idea of transgender females having biological advantages has stemmed from attitudes toward Leah Thomas. Thomas was a swimmer for the University of Pennsylvania. Immediately upon competing for the university, Thomas, then competing as a male, became an extremely prolific athlete.
Before her junior season, Thomas came out as transgender and began receiving hormone replacement therapy. Although she was required to compete against males for her junior year, she was deemed eligible by the NCAA to compete in the female division for her senior season. Thomas qualified for the national tournament for multiple events, including the 500-yard freestyle, the only event she won.
“Trans female athletes have existed in sports for years and years, and you’ve never heard about them until these last few years when people started pointing them out,” said Warak.
Novak says she is committed to making sure the rules regarding transgender athlete participation remain up to date and is willing to make necessary changes. She hopes to meet with members of PRISM to discuss the ban and the future state of athletic eligibility for transgender athletes.
“I think more than anything I just want to sit down and have a conversation with them, and really understand their perspective, and perhaps also how we reached the decision. I think these kinds of decisions are never easy. My intent is to try to be communicative and transparent [as possible]. If they could help shape future policy, I think we need to continue to hear from their perspective,” Novak related.
St. Ambrose Athletic Director Mike Holmes confirmed that the NAIA will rely on student-athletes and the university to self-report and check athlete eligibility. The ban will go into effect in August.
