I made a throwaway account because the world of roller derby is very small and very transphilic. I know of people who got kicked out of their leagues for being perceived as transphobic and I fear that could happen to me.

I chose roller derby because it was one of the few real women's sports. By women for women. A sisterhood. A place to be myself. The last few years the trans movement has been felt so much and men are rising through the teams much faster than women in women's teams - partly because they are so strong and partly because there is this fear of being transphobic if this trans skater doesn't make the team.

This past weekend was the roller derby championship tournament, the highest of levels one could play WOMENS flat track roller derby. 12 teams competed including mine and this year there were more trans players than ever and I came home feeling just so sad for women everywhere.

Only 160ish "women" get to compete at this event/at this level, how can it be ok for (at least) 5 of those to be men? As a player I don't enjoy playing against them, these are 6plus feet tall men, with the muscle mass of men, the strength of men, the brutal force of men. When one of them collides full force into my 120 pound frame, there is significantly more damage than when a woman does. I chose to play with and against women, not men. But even if they weren't stronger or bigger or heavier... why can't they leave one little space for women to play sports with other women?