SALEM, Va. (NewsNation) — Transgender issues remain a huge topic in sports, as administrations and conferences work to find a solution that’s appropriate for all involved.
The latest transgender controversy has surrounded the Roanoke College campus and the school’s women’s swim team.
On Thursday, several members of the Roanoke Women’s Swim Team held a press conference at the Hotel Roanoke to speak about the future of women’s sports at the college.
“Instead of being silent we are courageously sharing our story,” said a member of the swim team.
Swim team members planned to call on the NCAA to make rule changes that prioritize fairness and equal opportunity for women, the release said. Swimmers also called on Virginia lawmakers to pass legislation to protect the integrity of women’s sports and respond to efforts to manipulate and intimidate them into silence.
School transgender sports bans have become more popular in recent months as the controversy about letting biological males compete in women’s sports continues to raise concerns among female athletes.
This year, transgender bans were implemented in North Carolina and Texas. At least 21 other states share a similar ban at either the K-12 or college level, according to the Movement Advancement Project.
It is an issue that is increasingly capturing the national conversation and drawing strong opinions on both sides.
Most of these bills designate sports by sex assigned at birth. Transgender girls would be unable to participate in girls’ middle school, high school and college sports.
Earlier this year, the Biden administration proposed a rule that would make it illegal for schools to ban transgender athletes from competing.
These proposed changes would include protections for transgender individuals and make it illegal for schools to ban trans students from sports teams that align with their gender identity.
But many state lawmakers came together to fight the administration’s proposed changes.
This was shortly after the Republican-controlled House passed a bill that would prohibit trans athletes in federally funded institutions. However, it was not expected to pass in the Democratic-led Senate.
However, critics of such laws call them discriminatory and an attack on the transgender community.
Previous incidents over the past couple of years have influenced the influx of transgender sports bans, including several legal challenges in the wake of University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas becoming the first transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division One title last year.
Thomas became a leading symbol of transgender athletes — stirring both opposition and support — when she joined the University of Pennsylvania women’s swim team after competing for three years on the men’s squad at the Ivy League school.
Plus, some students at Roanoke College didn’t share the same concerns as the swimmers.
“I don’t play sports, I used to but I don’t see a problem with it. If they want to join, why not let them join,” said Ryley Hicks, a Roanoke College student.
In a statement, Roanoke College said leadership was made aware that a transgender student had requested permission to swim with the women’s swim team. The student had competed on the men’s swim team as a first-year student. They then took a year off and rejoined the season this year.
The college said that this was the first time they experienced this situation, and as a result launched an administration process that aided officials in making a decision.
In the statement, Roanoke College said its process included an analysis of the NCAA policy on transgender student participation in athletics, which includes:
“Like the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, the updated NCAA policy calls for transgender student-athlete participation for each sport to be determined by the policy for the national governing body of that sport.”
However, since the policy’s update, the college says it has been confusing and has contradictory guidelines for the schools to navigate.
In a meeting on Oct. 3, the Roanoke College Board of Trustees discussed the college’s policy and future stance. However, before the meeting, officials learned the student withdrew their request to compete on the women’s swim team.
Roanoke College shared it will continue to follow the NCAA policy of the national governing body of each sport regarding student-athlete participation eligibility.
“In making this decision, the focus of senior administration and the board of trustees was on maintaining fairness in competition and protecting the integrity of all athletics at Roanoke College,” said Roanoke College President Frank Shushok Jr. “We remain committed to supporting our LGBTQ+ community and our student-athletes, all of whom are valued members of our vibrant community.”
LGBTQ+ and support groups from the Roanoke area have issued an email response expressing their support for the transgender community.
The Associated Press and WFXR contributed to this report.