Let’s Be Honest: The Attacks on Trans People Aren’t About Sports

By Leah C. Donato, LCSW

LGBTQ+ Affirming Psychotherapist | Pennington, NJ

www.lcdcounselingservices.com

Let’s name what’s really happening.

Transgender people—especially youth—are being targeted in political debates across the country, including right here in New Jersey. And one of the loudest talking points? Sports.

We keep hearing about how transgender athletes are “ruining fairness.” About the “threat” they pose to school teams and competitions. But here’s the truth: there are incredibly few transgender athletes. In fact, transgender people make up less than 1% of the U.S. population. The idea that this tiny, vulnerable group somehow wields outsized power in sports or society is not just misleading—it’s absurd.

These attacks are not rooted in concern for fairness.

They are not rooted in data, compassion, or truth.

They are distractions.

They are meant to pull our attention away from real problems—like healthcare access, housing instability, climate change, and education equity. They manufacture fear to win votes, using trans bodies as pawns in a game that has nothing to do with sports and everything to do with control.

Meanwhile, trans kids are just trying to show up at school.

Trans adults are simply trying to live and be loved.

And all of them deserve more than to be debated like they’re a threat.

If you’re feeling the weight of this moment, you’re not alone.

In my therapy practice, I offer a safe and affirming space for transgender individuals and the LGBTQ+ community—where your identity isn’t a political issue, it’s a human truth.

Your existence is not up for debate.

Your joy, your safety, your dignity—they matter. You matter.