What is the problem if trans women take all the records?
By definition that then means that if you are born a woman then you can forget all your dreams about becoming a competitive athlete because those roles are reserved for the ones that were born a male.
By definition that then means that if you are born a woman then you can forget all your dreams about becoming a competitive athlete because those roles are reserved for the ones that were born a male.
I think your article nails it on the head here.
One of the beauties of sport is let’s let everybody play. We just need to acknowledge the other part of the equation, which is that there’s always been inequities in sport. Somebody who’s born taller than somebody who is shorter and plays basketball, we really don’t have this conversation about the potential competitive advantage
In other words,
By definition that then means that if you are born short then you can forget all your dreams about becoming a competitive athlete (in basketball) because those roles are reserved for the ones that were born tall.
That said, we could theoretically have new height classes in basketball, the same way we already have weight classes for wrestling. Likewise, if we did need some new form of class for an Olympic sport, I’m sure we don’t have to call it out by gender, but can have some similarly gender-agnostic criteria.
The issue here is that people have no problem admitting that tall individuals have an advantage over shorter ones in basketball - but when someone points out that trans women may have an advantage over biological women in terms of strength and speed, those same people suddenly come out of the woodwork, calling it a lie or transphobia.
If instead they acknowledged the advantage but still argued for inclusion, then at least we’d be agreeing on the facts - and the discussion could focus on how to level the playing field. Blanket bans are rarely the optimal solution, but neither is a free-for-all.
The issue here is that people have no problem admitting that tall individuals have an advantage over shorter ones in basketball - but when someone points out that trans women may have an advantage over biological women in terms of strength and speed,
Key word that’s often missing: “may”
The NPR article that you used as a source is pretty clear on this, that there’s a group of trans women for which this (stronger and faster than cis women) is not true.
[some] people suddenly come out of the woodwork, calling it a lie or transphobia.
FTFY.
The issue here is that …
Blanket bans are rarely the optimal solution
Actually, I suspect the issue here is that other folks - right-wing and MAGA in particular - take the a statement similar to yours, and run away with it to justify a blanket ban.
In other words, your original statement,
This isn’t about not wanting trans people in the sports and you know it.
Well, I don’t know it. Perhaps the folks on the World Olympics have loftier ideals - I sure hope that’s the case.
Hence some hypervigilance to keep those folks from taking over the conversation.
If instead they acknowledged the advantage but still argued for inclusion, then at least we’d be agreeing on the facts - and the discussion could focus on how to level the playing field.
True - the discussion really should be focus on inclusion, and of course a level playing field should only further the cause.
By definition that then means that if you are born a woman then you can forget all your dreams about becoming a competitive athlete because those roles are reserved for the ones that were born a male.
I think your article nails it on the head here.
In other words,
That said, we could theoretically have new height classes in basketball, the same way we already have weight classes for wrestling. Likewise, if we did need some new form of class for an Olympic sport, I’m sure we don’t have to call it out by gender, but can have some similarly gender-agnostic criteria.
The issue here is that people have no problem admitting that tall individuals have an advantage over shorter ones in basketball - but when someone points out that trans women may have an advantage over biological women in terms of strength and speed, those same people suddenly come out of the woodwork, calling it a lie or transphobia.
If instead they acknowledged the advantage but still argued for inclusion, then at least we’d be agreeing on the facts - and the discussion could focus on how to level the playing field. Blanket bans are rarely the optimal solution, but neither is a free-for-all.
Key word that’s often missing: “may”
The NPR article that you used as a source is pretty clear on this, that there’s a group of trans women for which this (stronger and faster than cis women) is not true.
FTFY.
Actually, I suspect the issue here is that other folks - right-wing and MAGA in particular - take the a statement similar to yours, and run away with it to justify a blanket ban.
In other words, your original statement,
Well, I don’t know it. Perhaps the folks on the World Olympics have loftier ideals - I sure hope that’s the case.
But there are folks that don’t want trans people to be able to use washrooms. (See https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/no-link-between-trans-inclusive-policies-bathroom-safety-study-finds-n911106 which references the belief, while pointing out that science doesn’t provide support.)
Hence some hypervigilance to keep those folks from taking over the conversation.
True - the discussion really should be focus on inclusion, and of course a level playing field should only further the cause.
Implying of course that we were not born women.