Turban, Jack L. and Shervin Assari. “Trans Girls Belong on Girls’ Sports Teams.” Scientific American, 1 June 2021, https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/trans-girls-belong-on-girls-sports-teams/.

In their article “Trans Girls Belong on Girls’ Sports Teams,” Jack L. Turban and Shervin Assari argue that transgender girls should be allowed to compete on girls’ sports teams. They claim that barring transgender girls from girls’ sports teams is discriminatory and goes against the principles of equality and fairness. They note that research has shown that hormone therapy can effectively reduce any physical advantages that transgender girls may have, and that sports organizations should adopt policies that allow transgender girls to compete according to their gender identity. Turban and Assari also argue that allowing transgender girls to compete on girls’ sports teams can provide important benefits for their mental health and social integration. They emphasize that transgender girls deserve to have the same opportunities as their cisgender peers and that excluding them from sports teams can lead to feelings of isolation and stigmatization.

The authors of this article, Jack L. Turban and Shervin Assari, are both medical doctors and researchers who have published peer-reviewed articles on the topic of transgender health. The article is published in Scientific American, a respected and well-established magazine that covers scientific news and research.

1. “Excluding trans girls from girls’ teams or forcing them to compete with boys undermines principles of fairness and equality. Sports should be welcoming and supportive of all children, and policies that exclude trans children or segregate them into separate leagues have no scientific or ethical justification.”
2. “By allowing trans children to participate in sports according to their gender identity, we can promote social integration and mental health. Research has shown that social exclusion and stigma are significant risk factors for depression, anxiety and suicide in transgender youth. Inclusive policies that affirm gender identity can help to mitigate these risks and support healthy development for all children.”

Turban