Is It Fair? Transgender Man Could Play on the 2020 Men's Olympic Volleyball Team

Tia Thompson, a 32-year-old transgender man, has been playing in the men's division of USA Volleyball (USAV), but in January, the organization finally approved his request to play in the women's division.



"It took me three years to finally get approved with all the transitioning and hormone therapy and submitting all my paperwork to the Gender Committee," Thompson told NBC affiliate KHNL.



USAV requires transgender men to undergo hormone replacement therapy consistently for at least one year and to change their gender marker to female on their identification documents.



Later this month, Thompson will compete in the popular Haili Volleyball Tournament on Hawaii's Big Island, a USAV-sanctioned event. This will be his first time playing in the tournament as a 'woman', and the first time the tournament will have an openly 'transgender' athlete competing.



There has been some pushback from the community, whith some parents and athletes anonymously commenting that inclusion of Thompson would result in an unfair level of competition for non-transgender women.



Despite this resistance, Thompson is determined to compete in the USAV's women's division and has his sights set on the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.



"By me coming out and opening the doors, it will get more accepted," Thompson said.