Discomforts. The Exclusion of Trans People in Sports

Abstract

This essay will analyze how different normative and discursive frameworks are deployed to define trans people in sports and determine their exclusion from high-level competition. To do so, we revisit Judith Butler's concepts on gender issues, performativity, and feminism. We bring into play ideas about the body and its social construction using the case of American swimmer Lia Thomas, who was disqualified by her own fellow athletes. Her triumphs served as an excuse for the enactment of rules excluding trans people from collegiate competitions in her country and international events.