American sports leagues struggle to create inclusive policies for transgender athletes

This has been a historic year for transgender athletes, though that history has seen two extremes.

Transgender athletes competed for the first time in the Olympic Games this year. Laurel Hubbard, a weightlifter from New Zealand, became the first openly trans woman to compete at the Games, and non-binary soccer player Quinn became the first openly transgender person to win an Olympic medal when Team Canada took gold. A few weeks later, Australia's Robyn Lambird took third in the women’s 100m T34 to become the first non-binary Paralympic medalist.

As these athletes thrived abroad, dozens of states in the U.S. introduced legislation banning trans girls and women from playing on teams that match their gender identity. Nine states have passed laws that restrict transgender inclusion at the middle school, high school and collegiate levels.