Melania Trump claims trans people are ‘imposing their ideologies on everyone’
Melania Trump claims trans people are ‘imposing their ideologies on everyone’ by wanting to be included in sport (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Trans people are “imposing their ideologies on everyone” by wanting to be included in sport, according to Melania Trump.
Writing in Melania: A Memoir, which was published on Tuesday (8 October), the former first lady revealed which political issues she and husband Donald Trump agree and disagree on – and both of them are against trans inclusion in sport.
“Today, some groups attempt to impose their ideologies on everyone, deepening the divisions in our society,” she wrote. “One example is the ongoing debate over trans inclusion in sports, specifically when male-born athletes, who identify as female, compete against women.
“Male bodies generally have physical advantages: muscle strength, height, bone density and lung capacity, that can affect fairness in competition, even at high-school level.
“Some argue that the number of trans athletes is low but even one can upset the balance in a female league or tournament due to these physical advantages. High-school athletes often dedicate years to training with the hope of being recruited by universities. Seeing that dream collapse is an unnecessary and avoidable consequence.”
Despite her views, she claimed to “fully support the LGBTQIA+ community”.
Her views align with those of the former president, who was recently criticised for his comments about Olympic boxers Imane Khelif and Li Yu-ting – both cisgender women – who he claimed were transgender.
Experts have said that trans female athletes do not have an inherent advantage when it comes to sports, and that inclusion in sports could benefit transgender young people’s mental health.
Elsewhere in the book, Trump’s third wife expressed her support for abortion, calling it a “fundamental right”, in stark contrast to the Republican presidential candidate, who has claimed the credit for the overturning of the landmark court case of Roe v Wade.
“A woman’s fundamental right of individual liberty, to her own life, grants her the authority to terminate her pregnancy if she wishes,” she insisted. “Restricting a woman’s right to choose whether to terminate an unwanted pregnancy is the same as denying her control over her own body.
“I have carried this belief with me throughout my entire adult life.”
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