United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) is facing criticism after making false claims about transgender athletes in women’s sports. Speaking on Fox News, he said that girls’ and women’s sports are “getting ready to be extinct” because of transgender athletes. Many people quickly pointed out that his statement was not true.
His comments are part of a larger effort by Republican lawmakers to limit transgender participation in sports. However, experts say there is little evidence to support these claims.
False Claims And Strong Reactions
Journalists and activists immediately challenged Tommy Tuberville’s claim that some high school teams consist entirely of boys playing against girls. Dan Wolken from USA Today called it a “total fabrication,” while journalist John Harwood said Tuberville was “just making things up.” Brandon Wolf of the Human Rights Campaign added, “Not a good sign when all you have left is completely making things up.”
The senator claimed on social media that transgender women had won over 900 women’s sports trophies in the last four years. No data supports this claim. In fact, NCAA President Charlie Baker recently told a Senate panel that fewer than ten transgender athletes currently compete in U.S. school sports.
A 2023 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that only about 3% of high school students identify as transgender, and an even smaller number play organized sports. A study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine also found that transgender women lose any major strength advantage after two years of hormone therapy.
Tommy Tuberville has a history of exaggerating facts. Before the Super Bowl, former President Donald Trump falsely claimed Tuberville had coached star quarterback Patrick Mahomes in college. Tuberville later said he had recruited Mahomes, but Mahomes denied it.
As the debate over transgender athletes continues, many wonder if this is really about fairness in sports- or just another political talking point.
