Nafees Alam, assistant professor in the School of Social Work, published “Point/Counterpoint : Transgender Sport Participation Policy” in Sport Social Work Journal. Matt Moore, associate professor in the Department of Social Work at Ball State University, was Alam’s co-author.
Following the point and counterpoint format, the fairness, inclusivity, and safety of transgender sport participation was discussed following a new policy from the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The policy calls for a sport-by-sport take on transgender athletes, allowing the governing bodies for each sport to make their own decisions on transgender athlete participation.
Moore and Alam agreed that more dialogue and research needs to be done, and that more time is needed before a solution can be found. With the rising political and ethical debates around transgender rights both in athletics and beyond, having open and respectful debates is crucial. Both incoming and current professionals in healthcare, social work, and other patient care fields need to be aware of the changing views and needs of the public.