As we previously reported, the International Olympic Committee has recently decided to hold off on banning transgender athletes from competing in women’s events at the Olympics.
This has the skateboard world arguing. No one is seeing eye to eye, and opinions are divided.
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Some people are concerned about biological men competing against biological women in competitions, feeling it could create an unfair playing field.
On the other hand, some skateboarders and advocates argue that skill and performance should matter most, regardless of gender identity, and have defended the inclusion of transgender women in the games.
Among the voices adding to the debate is Felix Arguelles, a Christian professional skateboarder and former founder of AMMO Skateboards.
Arguelles wanted to make his perspective clear to everyone. He stated:
“If the male or female ‘gender’ contains a prefix or adjective it is not the same but now it is its own category.”
Arguelles’ comment suggests that athletes who identify with gender qualifiers, such as transgender men or women, should be considered in a separate category rather than grouped with traditional male or female divisions.
His statement got everyone talking about how to keep things fair while letting people be who they are.
No matter where you stand, it shows how tricky it is to include everyone in big competitions and how different crews are figuring it out, especially when cash prizes are at stake for winning gold at the Olympics.