6 lines
2.5 KiB
Markdown
6 lines
2.5 KiB
Markdown
[#rs/class/hea150 #rs/discussion
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1. I was assigned the state of Pennsylvania to look at for this assignment. According to the Movement Advancement Project, 4.1% of adults and 5% of the workforce in Pennsylvania is LGBTQ+. The state has a "fair" ranking for their overall policy tally with a value of 16.75/49. Some of the issues with no protection for LGBTQ+ people include family services nondiscrimination laws, credit and lending nondiscrimination laws, anti-bullying laws, and jury service nondiscrimination. Across all the counties in Pennsylvania, only 37% of the population of the state is protected. None of the counties have state level protections, and only 4 have county level protections.
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2. I watched the video from ESPN about the science behind the debate around transgender athletes in sports. This video summarized many of the biological components of this debate, including the effect of the hormone testosterone on athlete performance. If people transition after puberty, many sports organizations require them to go through hormone therapy to lower testosterone levels before they can compete. Testosterone in larger levels can contribute to increased muscle mass and strength. The video also emphasized how there is still a lot that we don't know about this issue since there is very little research on the topic. The total number of transgender athletes is very small, so up until now there has been very little research on these topics. One part of this video that was memorable to me is the idea that while athletes that have transitioned and undergone hormone replacement therapy may still have some advantages, they also have disadvantages in some aspects compared to other athletes. Especially if their muscle mass has decreased as a result of less testosterone, their larger frames can be harder to move as efficiently in some sports.
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3. I believe that students should have input into the process of deciding who can participate in sports, but should not have the responsibility of actually deciding. I think that the actual decisions should be left to adults, likely in legislative bodies, who are able to look at the research and a broader perspective to make the best decision possible. While I think that the perspective of students participating in sports is important to take into account when making these decisions, I think it is better to have people who have more experience making the decisions. Hopefully, they will better be able to see multiple perspectives and take them into consideration better than students might be able to. |