Congratulations to MJ Balezina
On May 15 MJ Balezina successfully defended their PhD thesis entitled “Categorically (Trans)Fixed: Attitudes Towards Trans Inclusion in Sports.”
Why does resistance to trans inclusion persist even among those who endorse equality in principle?
This question has been central to the PhD research of MJ Balezina.
In their dissertation MJ examines why resistance to trans inclusion persists even among those who endorse equality in principle. While existing explanations in research tend to emphasize prejudice, misinformation or elite mobilization, public attitudes often instead appeal to fairness and biological differences. Focusing on sport as a revealing case, the dissertation argues that opposition to trans inclusion is rooted in widely shared beliefs about the naturalness of gender categories and expectations about how institutions should function.
Drawing on political psychology and the sociology and philosophy of sports, the dissertation advances the claim that resistance is expressed through context-sensitive justifications rather than simple bias. Survey experiments with U.S. adults show that support for trans is influenced by linguistic framing, competitive context, and by whether the subject is a trans man or trans woman. The findings highlight persistent assumptions about bodily difference, fairness concerns, and a consistent asymmetry in how trans men and trans women are perceived.
Thank you to the assessment committee:
Professor Jami K. Taylor (University of Toledo), Associate Professor Stuart J. Turnbull-Dugarte (University of Southampton), Associate Professor Tobias Widmann (Aarhus University (Chair)).
Main supervisor: Associate Professor Lars Thorup Larsen
Co-supervisor: Associate Professor Nicholas Haas.