I am responding to a recent letter saying that Maine must protect female athletes by banning transgender women from competition.

Many trans women are on hormone therapy, which negates some of the biological advantage they may have. Some trans women participate in a sport that they love but where they might not have that much of a biological advantage, or may just not be super competitive.

I am 5 feet tall. If basketball was my life’s passion, and I worked harder than all the 6-foot-tall women, they are still going to have a biologic advantage over me. Do I have a right to complain about that? Some women have personal sports trainers. Are they blocked from competing against women who can’t afford that advantage?

Boys and men are not becoming trans women just so they can participate and dominate women’s sports. They are trying to be their true selves and just enjoy a sport as anyone would. Also, many trans female athletes are treated in a manner that gives them a psychological disadvantage in competition.

A person’s genetic make-up and internal and external reproductive anatomy are not useful indicators of athletic performance. There is no reason a trans woman should be disqualified based on her physiologic characteristics any more than a non-transgender female who has physiology or specialized training that gives her an advantage in her sport.

Peg Duhamel
Woolwich