Let's talk about physiology
Question: When is it fair for a male to compete with a female? Justin Hilbert makes a good point when he remarks that in many circumstances under traditional athletic disciplines, if a female wants to "join the men’s wrestling team or box against male opponents, it would be allowed. However, that doesn’t work the other way around." And this is somethign to talk about when we compare the structure of female esport participation today!
After all, there is a matter of male vs. female physiology at play. That said, is it fair to the male athletes to force them to compete against females, even if the woman is a willing party?
So in traditional sports, there are legitimate arguments from both sides of the table. But eSports are all about mental acuity, hand-eye coordination, and quick reaction time. In some games, it is more about the ability to strategize effectively and work as a team. eSports are digital, so there are none of the traditional physical hang-ups to get in the way of ‘athletic equality’.
So then...why are male and female divisions still exist in esports?
This has a lot to do with how esports takes after a lot of the established media practices of traditional professional sports. Everything from male-targeted marketing and branding practices to exclusivity of female partnership in commercial sponsorship and professional roster inclusion. Justin picks apart the good stuff here -- highly worth a 5 minute read:
Read Justin's article HERE