Fact check: How many trans men have played in women’s sports in the United States

1. Summary of the results

The analyses reveal a critical terminology confusion in the original question. The sources primarily discuss trans women (individuals assigned male at birth who identify as female) competing in women's sports, not trans men (individuals assigned female at birth who identify as male) ^{[1] [2] [3]}.

Lia Thomas, a trans woman swimmer at the University of Pennsylvania, is the most frequently mentioned case across multiple sources ^{[1] [2] [3]}. The question asks about trans men in women's sports, but the available data focuses on trans women in women's sports.

Regarding overall numbers, NCAA President Charlie Baker stated there are fewer than 10 transgender college student-athletes among more than 500,000 total NCAA athletes, representing approximately 0.002% of the college student-athlete population ^{[4] [5]}. However, this figure encompasses all transgender athletes, not specifically trans men competing in women's sports.

Multiple incidents of transgender athletes in high school sports have occurred across California, Maine, Minnesota, Oregon, New Hampshire, Washington, Pennsylvania, New York, and West Virginia, though specific numbers are not provided ^[6].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The analyses reveal significant gaps in addressing the specific question asked:

• No source provides a definitive count of trans men who have competed in women's sports in the United States
• The question conflates trans men with trans women, which are fundamentally different categories with different implications for women's sports
• Trans men competing in women's sports would be unusual, as trans men typically seek to compete in men's categories or mixed categories

Advocacy organizations like GLAAD emphasize that transgender athletes represent a "tiny fraction of competitors" and argue their inclusion "has not negatively affected women's sports" ^[7]. This perspective benefits organizations promoting transgender inclusion policies.

Conversely, sources tracking "controversies" suggest the issue is "widespread" across multiple states ^[6], a framing that benefits those advocating for restrictions on transgender participation in sports.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question contains a fundamental conceptual error by asking about "trans men" in women's sports. The terminology suggests either:

• Misunderstanding of transgender terminology - confusing trans men with trans women
• Intentional conflation designed to create confusion about the actual debate

The current policy discussions and controversies primarily concern trans women in women's sports, not trans men. Trans men would typically be assigned female at birth and would more commonly seek to compete in men's categories, making their participation in women's sports highly unusual and not the focus of current legislative or policy debates.

This terminology confusion could mislead readers about the nature of the transgender sports participation debate and the actual demographics involved in these discussions.