Friday, April 5, 2:30-4pm, Thompson Library [Rm. 165], 1858 Neil Ave.

Although Title IX aims to secure sex equality in education by prohibiting discrimination based on sex, it makes an exception for sport by allowing men and women to compete in separate categories. This sports exception is widely viewed as necessary for fair competition due to physiological differences that bear on athletic performance. Recent concerns about transgender athletes challenge this model. Out of a concern for inclusion, many argue that transgender athletes should be permitted to compete in the category that corresponds to their gender identity. Others worry that (unconditional) inclusion undermines fair competition.

How should we balance the values of inclusion and fairness in the context of sports competition? The panelists in this Forum will consider these values in light of evidence regarding how biological factors contribute to performance, focusing on the question: When, if ever, should transgender athletes be permitted to compete according to their gender identity?

The OSU Center for Ethics and Human Values [CEHV] is grateful to Ohio State’s Sports and Society Initiative for co-sponsoring this event.

Speakers

Dr. Joanna Harper is a medical physicist at Oregon Health and Sciences University.

Kim Jones is the co-founder of the Independent Council on Women’s Sports (ICONS) a network of collegiate and professional female athletes that advocates for fair competition in women’s sports.

Dr. Naomi Scheinerman is an Assistant Professor of Bioethics in the Department of Biomedical Education and Anatomy at The Ohio State University.

Moderators

Kayla Anderson is a third year Political Science major on the pre-law track.

Muheeb Hijazeen is a third-year Industrial and Systems Engineering student with a minor in Clinical Psychology on the pre-law track.

Hosted by OSU Center for Ethics and Human Values [CEHV].