For transgender women’s rugby player Emma Farnan, there is no such thing as an advantage over her opponents. “Being trans doesn’t mean inherently that I’m going to be a good athlete,” she told GMA. “I still have to put in the hard work.” As a member of the Southern Headliners Rugby Club women’s team in the Premier Rugby (PR) Sevens league, Farnan is one of only a handful of transgender athletes competing at the highest level in their sport.

Despite the challenges she faces, both on and off the pitch, Farnan remains focused on her goals and is determined to show that transgender women can compete with anyone. She believes that just because someone was born into a gender that doesn’t fit them doesn’t mean they should be prevented from playing sports with other people of their chosen gender. This debate continues to rage across the United States of America as conservative pundits make claims that transgender athletes have advantages over their opponents – especially when transgender boys or women play sports against other women.

Farnan insists she simply does not have an advantage over any other girl she plays.

“I am proud to show that I can keep up with everyone else,” she said. “There’s no advantage that I have over any of my other teammates or opponents, just like there’s no disadvantage.”

Farnan also believes her presence in the sport is an important step in the right direction for the transgender community.

“It helps break down those barriers, and it makes everyone realize that we can all play together,” she said.

Farnan believes that sports are meant to be inclusive, not exclusive, and she encourages anyone who wants to play sports to do so regardless of gender identity or expression. As long as the athletes abide by the rules and regulations of their respective sports, Farnan believes there’s nothing stopping them from playing.

“We can all come together and just play,” she said. “It doesn’t have to be a big deal.”

Farnan’s inspiring story shows that no matter who you are or where you come from, you can still be successful in the sports world. Hopefully, her story will continue to encourage transgender athletes to pursue their dreams and challenge the perceptions of those who believe trans athletes have an unfair advantage.

Farnan hopes her experience will be an inspiration to other transgender athletes who want to compete in sports but are afraid of being discriminated against. She has been an advocate for the transgender community, speaking at events and on social media about her experience. Farnan is also an active member of TransAthlete.org, a website created to support trans athletes and help fight for their rights in the sports world.

In the end, Farnan’s message is clear—it doesn’t matter if you’re a transgender athlete or not. All that matters is that you put in the hard work, play fair, and enjoy the game.

“It’s just a sport,” she said. “We’re all out there to have fun.”