Major Moving Moments

Jim Bleikamp here.

I’m feeling good about the fact that even though many of us have staked out largely firm positions on at least two sides, and maybe more sides, of the difficult debate about transgender participation in girls sports, we are more and more likely to be mindful of the natural tension embedded in an issue like this one.

I believe I am doing the Midcoast a significant favor by sharing three moving moments I have encountered in regard to this issue over the past 24 hours.

Two of them involved remarks at Wednesay night’s Freeport RSU-5 School Board meeting, where nearly 30 speakers–some of them from outside the district–addressed the issue.

–Below you may listen to what I found to be the quietly staggering
remarks of Jonas Werner, a one-time Freeport Citizen of the Year,
and the father of a trans child.

–Also here are the gripping remarks of Jack Brogan, the
16-year-old junior captain of the Freeport High soccer team, who
on one-hand is horrified that a trans woman at Greely High
School has been subjected to nationwide shame, but is also quite
articulate in his view that women’s sports must be, in his words,
protected. You need not agree with all he says to find this young
man’s remarks compelling in the extreme.

–And just below is an extended comment that I found to be well-
written in a way that I would call breathtaking, which was planted
this afternoon on the WCME page from Uma Webster, the
mother of two trans children.

Enjoy being moved–you may be just that.

“I’ve been listening to the debate over whether transgender people should be allowed to compete in sports, and it reminds me of the way our country gets locked into these rigid, divisive arguments—like Democrats vs. Republicans—where both sides talk past each other and miss the bigger picture.

As the parent of two biological females who were born as males in female bodies, this issue isn’t abstract to me—it’s personal. And honestly, I think we all see this in life. We’ve met men who seem to be women trapped in a man’s body, and we’ve met women who seem to be men trapped in a woman’s body. It’s clear that gender exists on a spectrum, from the most feminine women to the most masculine men, and everything in between. That’s just biology, whether people like to admit it or not.

Now, let’s be honest—my main concern is not for that girl athlete who might come in second instead of first because she’s competing against a biological male. Do I think that’s fair? No, I don’t. But my bigger concern is making sure that every young person, no matter who they are, feels welcome in this world as they grow up and push themselves—physically, intellectually, and emotionally.

I don’t think the answer is forcing transgender athletes into competitions where they have an unfair advantage. But I also don’t think the answer is shutting them out. The answer, as it always has been in America, is finding a way to include people without taking something away from others.

Sports already have different leagues for men and women. We have age-based leagues, skill-based leagues, and leagues for athletes with disabilities. At one time, Black people weren’t allowed in professional sports. At one time, women weren’t allowed in certain sports. Over time, we learned that including more people didn’t ruin sports—it made them stronger, more dynamic, and more meaningful. We just have to keep evolving.

When my child was 10, they came to me and said, “I don’t feel like a girl. I don’t seem to relate to the world as a girl. Is something wrong with me?” As they grew, their voice deepened, their shoulders broadened, their body took on a male form, and they found themselves attracted to girls. They weren’t “confused.” They weren’t following a trend. They were simply a male born in a female body.

I told them what every kid deserves to hear: There is nothing wrong with you. People grow in infinite ways, and every one of us is different in our own special way.

And I guarantee you this—my child, like almost any trans kid, isn’t trying to compete in sports to hurt anyone. They just want to play, to challenge themselves, to be part of something, like every other athlete in history.

Since it’s obvious that biological males shouldn’t be boxing biological females or competing in strength-based sports, let’s stop the fighting and do what we’ve always done—build a league that includes these athletes. We did it for disabled athletes. We did it for youth athletes. Why wouldn’t we do it for a group of people who are only just now, through online communities, finding their voices and their place in the world?

This is new territory, but the solution isn’t to exclude—it’s to evolve. And if history has taught us anything, it’s that inclusion isn’t the death of something great—it’s the beginning of something greater.