Trans Participation in Sports Causes Multi-Level Controversy

The Pepperdine Athletics logo illuminates in Firestone Fieldhouse. Members of Pepperdine Athletics spoke out on transgender participation in the NCAA. Photo by Jerry Jiang

Junior Tony Lin came out as transgender his senior year of high school to what he described as “mixed results.” Lin did not tell his parents about his gender identity when he came out to people at his school, so when the COVID-induced online graduation ceremony used his preferred name, it came as a surprise to his family.

“Basically, my high school outed me,” Lin said. “There was a lot of backlash over that and some very lengthy emails in which I had to tell them that if they did this with anyone else, you might get someone…