By Priscilla Rahn | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice
Recently, several notable Democrats, who supported biological men in women’s sports, are now all of a sudden seeing the light. One notable politician, California Governor Gavin Newsom, recently broke with his party by saying that transgender athletes playing in female sports is “deeply unfair.”
Many believe he’s switching horses midstream because he’s eyeing a presidential bid in 2028 and needs to appear moderate.
Whether he and others are sincere in their new found beliefs remains to be seen.
I have spent a great deal of time studying the intricacies of athletic performance and the physical differences that shape how we move. I developed that understanding as a competitive tennis player, women’s figure competitor, and high school coach for boys and girls tennis and volleyball.
Over the years, I’ve reached some of the highest levels in sports, including ranking #1 in Colorado for tennis in 2002 and placing top-four in the NPC North American Figure competition.
Yet, as I watch the ongoing debate about fairness in women’s sports, one issue stands out starkly: the impact of biological structure on athletic performance.
We often hear about the importance of inclusion, especially when it comes to transgender athletes. I do not support biological men competing in women’s sports because we cannot ignore the biological differences that exist between men and women, even when it comes to athletes who transition.
Despite hormone treatments and gender-affirming care, the physical structure of the body– particularly in the hips and pelvis–fundamental differences exist between men and women. This anatomical difference creates an unfair advantage, and it’s something that can’t be overlooked if we are serious about ensuring fair competition in women’s sports.
At the core of this issue is the fact that biological women and men have different hip structures due to reproductive functions.
Women are born with wider hips, a broader pelvic inlet, and a larger Q-angle, which is the angle formed between the thigh bone (femur) and the shin bone (tibia). Men, on the other hand, have a narrower pelvis and a smaller Q-angle, which creates a more efficient alignment for running, jumping, and pivoting.
This difference has significant implications for sports performance.
When a woman with a wider pelvis runs, pivots, or jumps, her legs are more likely to angle outward, increasing the risk of knee injuries and reducing movement efficiency. For men, their narrower pelvis and smaller Q-angle result in more biomechanically advantageous movement.
This anatomical difference can lead to men having superior agility, greater speed, and lower injury risk than women in many sports.
The rise of biological male athletes in women’s sports raises the question of fairness. While men may undergo hormone therapy that increases estrogen and reduces testosterone, these treatments don’t change their underlying biological structure. The bones, the shape of the pelvis, and the broader Q-angle remain unchanged despite hormone treatments.
The issue is that, despite undergoing hormone therapy, trans female athletes retain the anatomical advantages of their biological sex.
Their bodies are still built in a way that favors athletic movements that women struggle with due to wider hips and larger Q-angles. For instance, when trans men participate in sports where jumping, pivoting, kicking and cutting are frequent, they have an increased advantage over women.
This advantage exists not only because of muscle mass, but because of their biomechanics.
In sports like tennis, where speed and agility are key, the wider pelvis in women causes greater knee stress and a higher risk of ACL injuries. Men, despite transitioning, retain a more stable knee and hip alignment, reducing these risks. In sports like swimming, where height, kicking, core stability, explosive movements and turns are key, men have greater mechanical efficiency.
While hormone therapy may help to equalize muscle mass to some degree, it does not change the fact that the skeletal structure—which influences movement efficiency and injury risk—remains that of a biological male.
The presence of male athletes in women’s sports challenges the concept of a level playing field.
When we look at sports performance, it’s not just about the muscles or the stamina; it’s also about how efficiently the body moves and how stable it is during high-intensity movements.
Biological men maintain advantages in these areas.
I believe President Trump did the right thing by not ignoring the fairness issue in women’s sports. If a biological male athlete is competing against women, they are doing so with a significant anatomical advantage—an advantage that persists despite the use of hormone blockers.
The risk of injury for women increases when competing against athletes with such anatomical advantages.
This creates an imbalance in competition, where biological women have to overcome more challenges, even if they have similar training, fitness, and skill levels.
As someone who has competed at the highest levels in women’s sports, I recognize the importance of fairness and preserving a level playing field for women.
We must continue to have honest dialogue about the role of biomechanics in sports performance and the need for policies that ensure fair and safe competition for all athletes.
Priscilla Rahn is a former competitive tennis player, women’s figure competitor, and experienced coach with a deep understanding of the physical demands of sports. She is a master teacher, former Vice Chair of the Colorado GOP and Project 21 Ambassador.
Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in commentary pieces are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the management of the Rocky Mountain Voice, but even so we support the constitutional right of the author to express those opinions.