“I’m the Kind of Trans They Don’t Care About”: Experiences of Trans-Masculine Athletes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association

In 2022, transgender swimmer Lia Thomas reignited longstanding debates about fairness in sport, and by August 2023, 23 states had enacted legislation restricting transgender athletic participation. While trans-feminine athletes are often seen as a “threat” to women’s sports, the experiences of trans-masculine athletes are often overlooked. Based on interviews with 13 trans-masculine athletes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, I explore how they navigate gender identity while participating in gendered, competitive sport. I find that their (trans)gender identities and identities as athletes became inseparable and were mutually constituted. Additionally, I argue that their experiences in sport are contingent on their trans-masculine identities. While not the primary targets of antitrans policy, their experiences were impacted by broader, antitrans rhetoric and legislative efforts to restrict transgender participation.