Trans Basketballer Banned From Playing in Female Competition Divides Fans

A basketballer banned from playing in a women's semi-professional league because she is transgender said she was "sad about the potential message the decision" sends.

Lexi Rodgers will not be allowed to play in the NBL1—a semi-professional, lower-tier basketball league in Australia—after a Basketball Australia (BA) panel reviewed her application.

The BA decision comes at a time when transgender athletes are under intense scrutiny, part of a wider debate about transgender rights globally. In the U.S. 40 percent of states have banned transgender athletes from participating in women's sport.

Rodgers applied to BA to play for regional team Kilsyth Cobras but her application was rejected by a panel consisting of BA chief medical officer Peter Harcourt, Olympian Suzy Batkovic, and sport and exercise physician Diana Robinson.

Her application to play made headlines when former NBA and Australian national player Andrew Bogut expressed on Twitter in March his opposition to her request.

"Word is@NBL1 South Women will have a biological Male playing this upcoming season. Are you ok with sacrificing the sanctity of Female Sport in the name of 'inclusion'? #GirlDads where are you? The hashtag is trendy until action is needed," he wrote.

While BA did not give a specific reason for knocking back Rodgers, it said that it "assesses eligibility of prospective elite level transgender athletes on a 'case-by-case' basis, accounting for and balancing a range of factors."

"As the governing body, we acknowledge we're still on a path of education and understanding. To aid us in developing our framework, Lexi will provide feedback and advice from her experiences," BA said in a statement.

"The balance of inclusivity, fairness and the competitive nature of sport will always be a complex area to navigate, and we thank those involved who have maintained integrity and respect throughout the process," it said.

Former Olympian and BA director, Batkovic added: "While Lexi is understandably disappointed with the outcome… I also want to make it clear because it's important, that while this particular application was not approved based on criteria for elite competition, Basketball Australia encourages and promotes inclusivity at community level."

Rodgers took to her Instagram to express her feelings about the decision and said she would not be making any further comment for the time being.

"Consistent with the views expressed by so many, I firmly believe I have a place as an athlete in women's basketball," she wrote. "I hope Basketball Australia understands that this is not the end of my journey as an athlete and that it must not miss future opportunities to demonstrate its values.

"I am sad about the potential message this decision sends to trans and gender diverse people everywhere.

"I hope to one day be playing elite women's basketball in the future and will continue to work on making the sport I love a place for all."

"Transgender" is an adjective describing a person whose gender identity does not match their sex assigned at birth. The banning of transgender girls and women from participating in women's sports stems from the concept that athletes born male have an unfair advantage because of higher levels of testosterone, and greater size and muscle mass if they have progressed through puberty as male.

"But transgender girls are not the only girls with high testosterone levels," wrote Dr. Jack Turban for Scientific American, who argued that around 10 percent of women have polycystic ovarian syndrome, which means they have elevated testosterone levels.

"They are not banned from female sports. Transgender girls on puberty blockers, on the other hand, have negligible testosterone levels," he wrote.

Athlete Ally, an LGBTQ+ activist group, described transgender sports bans as "misguided and discriminatory." It spoke to Newsweek in April after Kansas lawmakers voted to impose restrictions on transgender athletes.

The group said the decision "goes against extensive research and ignores what we know to be the actual threats to women's sports: unequal pay, rampant sexual abuse and harassment, lack of women in leadership and inequities in resources for women athletes."

The internet was divided about the decision on Rodgers' playing future.

"Common sense prevails," wrote one Twitter user.

Another added: "This is the correct decision. Women deserve fair competition."

Others were not happy with BA's decision and said Rodgers should have the chance to play the sport she loves.

"Lexi Rodgers is a woman! She would be very out of place in men's sports! :-O Let's support her so that she can play on a team with other women!" commented one person.

A second wrote: "Why not ask the women she will be playing with and against their opinions? Ultimately the decision is down to them."