What’s missing from the renewed debate over trans athletes? The voices of trans people.

Last week I was in San Antonio as an American Women’s Football League Northeast Conference All-Pro selection at defensive end, putting my hand in the dirt to rush the quarterback during the league’s All-Pro Game.

In between keeping cool, staying hydrated and checking in on the epic StudBudz coverage of that other all-star game over that weekend, I had a thought: This day is something I wish the “shut up and play ball” types would see. For trans people in sports, this was an example of what happens when the Sophie Cunninghams of the world would just shut up and let us play ball.

The temperature at kickoff was 97 degrees and I was doing everything to stay hydrated as I was flying for tackles along with my Northeast Conference teammates vs. the Southwest Conference. By the way, Northeast won 19-6.

Then I took off my pads, cleaned myself up, put on something stylish, went into reporter mode and covered the division rival New York Knockout beating the Carolina Stars for the AWFL Championship 19-8. Among the players for the Knockout was reserve guard-tackle Missy Mahoney. Two years ago we met each other on an off-tackle play, and contrary to the belief of certain people, the collision of two transgender women did not cause a seismic shock that ended women’s sports.

Two years later she was celebrating a title. “I’m happy and still can’t believe it,” Mahoney said. “This one is for all of us!”

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I was happy and at the same time, a little jealous. My Connecticut team was one of the victims of the Knockout’s undefeated run to a championship.

In between the two games, I was checking out Nikki Hiltz doing what they do at the USA Track and Field Championships in New York City. That was some finish in the 1,500 meters. The grit and that grin hit the tape first by milliseconds.

After that beautiful high, coming back home to WNBA player Sophie Cunningham’s comments on trans athletes was a letdown. We have more people talking about trans people, but once again nobody talking to trans people.

Don’t get me wrong. Seeing Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve showing up and speaking out in favor of trans people is a great thing. Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase spoke out as well before the game against the Toronto Tempo on Sunday.

“For me, sports is about belonging. It’s about inclusivity. It’s about allowing everyone to be their authentic self,” Nakase said. “I’m big on that just because I have been criticized for my height, for my ethnicity. I don’t want that space, especially Golden State, to ever feel like that. So I’m all about women, little girls deserving to play, and that includes trans women. So I’m all about inclusivity.”

Amid the tempest, I see a missed opportunity to talk to the people at the center of this, and notice what certain people aren’t talking about.

Throughout all the endless coverage of what Cunningham said and the reaction, there was not much on why there was a small rally against trans athletes before the Indiana-Seattle game or what anti-trans ballot initiatives could mean for student-athletes in Washington and other states.

And speaking of that, rather than having a co-owner arguing with two teenagers, the Storm could have gotten out front and made it plain: “We oppose ballot initiative 638. We oppose discriminating against transgender students. We oppose IOC-style sex testing and genital exam on our kids just to play a game for their school.”

Also, why hasn’t a reporter asked Sophie Cunningham, “What’s your view of the Heritage Foundation’s report last week calling for a rollback for Title IX?”

We need to be asking exactly what the so-called “protectors” of women’s sport are protecting it from? The WNBA All-Star Game had more people in the seats than the NBA All-Star Game did for the first time ever. Ratings for women’s sports continue to climb, and we have a women’s pro baseball league that just threw its first pitch. What exactly is the threat here?

But again, where are trans folks in the discussion. Where are those voices?

My view? The outcry and outrage is less important that impacts of what we are discussing.

I’ve stated previously that to me the alignment of inclusion, fairness and safety is not a culture issue, it is a governance issue. That’s the discussion we should have, especially when you have school starting and when this issue will be voted on in some states and be a piece of the campaign discourse in many others.

And we need to center those who we are talking about and why sports matters to them. The same feel of excitement in competition that mattered to me and others a weekend ago.

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