On President Joe Biden’s first day in office, he enacted an executive order under Title IX protecting transgender citizens from discrimination. The order means public schools that rely on government funding must allow transgender athletes to join the team that matches their gender identity.

Misinformation and disapproval of Title IX spread like wildfire in the days after. 

“So Biden declared a war on women on his first day. Men allowed in women’s facilities putting them at risk,” commented Jouelle, a reader, on a Fox News article.

“As soon as girls start getting head injuries or hurt and the law suits start pouring in, it will stop,” another reader assured others. 

Even more comments said the new order would cause girls to lose out on scholarship opportunities.

Evidently, many Americans see trans people as threats to society, and the fear-mongering against them is running rampant.

I’m disappointed in society’s lack of support for this order. These concerns aren’t really about cisgender women or gender equality. In reality, all of the arguments against it are just blatant displays of transphobia.

It’s time to clear up some misconceptions people have about the “T” in the LGBTQ community. 

So let’s start with this: I am a female athlete who doesn’t feel threatened by Title IX because I have talked to enough trans athletes to know the truth. 

Most of the time, cis people know nothing about the transgender community, yet we assume we know everything. History shows that trans women don’t have any unfair advantage over cis women. 

Trans people have been allowed to participate in Olympic sports since 2004 — with some technical restrictions — and not a single trans athlete has even qualified to attend the tournament in the 17 years of eligibility.

Trans women must display physical transitions by the time they are allowed to compete. The National Collegiate Athletic Association requires female trans athletes to undergo hormone replacement therapy for more than one year before competing on a women’s team, as well as provide evidence they are continuing treatment each year. 

The therapy process includes testosterone suppression. During HRT, loss of muscle mass occurs within one to two years, starting as early as three months.

Trans women have no muscular or other physical advantage over cis women. Therefore, the greatest fear of trans-exclusionary feminists is not valid at all. The root of their worries, then, are predominantly irrational fears and the belief that trans women will never be real women — in other words, transphobia.

Frankly, I am sick of being told to believe such a deceiving and manipulative idea — one that does not come close to painting the experience of the trans community. Trans people already face enough struggles fitting into a black-and-white world.

Only 18 states in the country, in addition to D.C., have clear laws protecting trans people from discrimination. Additionally, 40 percent of transgender people having attempted suicide as a result of the assault and harassment they face, according to the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey conducted by the National Center for Transgender Equality.

Enough of this transphobia and hatred.

It’s understandable to want to protect women. But trans women are part of that group and are therefore just as worthy and in need of protection — especially from a world that assumes the worst of them, denies their existence and actively hurts them.

Just because you don’t fully understand the experiences or identity of trans people doesn’t mean you can’t try. And it certainly doesn’t mean you can’t respect them and their rights.

We cannot forget how much weight our prejudices have. We need to keep showing our support, starting with the new executive order under Title IX and its fight against discrimination.