NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The NCAA convention is underway at the Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville this week.
Outside of that, some current and former female college athletes are holding demonstrations hoping it will bring change surrounding transgender policies.
"Sports have done so much for me and my life," said Sia Li’ili’i, an Independent Women's Forum Ambassador.
She has been an athlete most of her life, now she plays volleyball for the University of Nevada at Reno.
Li’ili’i was one of the many athletes participating in the Independent Women's Forum demonstrations outside the NCAA convention at Gaylord Opryland Wednesday.
The purpose of the gathering was to advocate for the NCAA to change its policy toward transgender students competing in sports.
"We're here to demonstrate that women's sports are for women only and that males have no place in women's sports," Li’ili’i said.
Click here to look at the NCAA's current policy on transgender athletes in women's sports.
Some sports require testosterone testing.
While she's not a collegiate athlete, that's something trans athlete Dahron Johnson knows well.
"I have to have testosterone results within 90 days of any competition," Johnson said.
Johnson is the Co- Chair for the Davidson County Tennessee Equality Project. She's worried this type of policy change will be the tip of the iceberg.
"Bans on trans athletes were really the first forays into then making bathroom access more difficult making health care access more difficult," Johnson said.
However, many current athletes and recent grads like Macy Petty, are worried about the advantage transgender athletes to their sports.
"I played volleyball, and men's nets were over seven inches higher than female nets. That shows, reflected in our sports that we are biologically different, and to protect the integrity of sports the safety and the fairness of sports we must keep separated based on biology, not feelings," said Macy Petty, Women's Sports Spokesperson for Concerned Women for America.
For Kim Jones, she's worried that advantage a transgender athlete could have, will turn into unfair advantages.
"Take those opportunities, those scholarships, roster spots, and remove fair competition from any girl who participates," said Kim Jones, co-founder of ICONS, the Independent Council on Women's Sports.
NewsChannel 5 reached out to the NCAA for comment on this story but did not hear back.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at robb.coles@newschannel5.com.
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