With so many different classifications and labels we are at risk of even more division. As a woman I find it hard to understand what identifying as a woman is.... we don't all like wearing dresses, we don't all like pink, we aren't all maternal.... what aspect is identified with? Is it being respected less, paid less, being objectified.... its very confusing as it must be for somebody that feels they have been born the wrong gender, again, I just feel it all causes more division.... maybe we should all just be people!
Caster Semanya is the other famous/infamous example in recent years. They are androgenous rather than transgender, having both male and female 'attributes'. Although externally female, the internal male organs give them massively increased testosterone levels with the muscle bulk etc to match. They were allowed to compete against women for some time, and won just about everything they entered, but then banned because of the high testoserone levels. They had to take medication to reduce the testosterone level and haven't come close to beating other women since.
Caster came to my mind also, and is a great example of how badly things can be managed. I remember at the time they were also discussing the low lactic acid Michael Phelps gave him a great advantage..... But that was celebrated.
I think they have started some mixed gender events, which I great. Whatever they do It will be a tough decision.
Agree, @WonkyWomble for 'real' life but as has been said, you can't play sport on that basis. If we had less gender separation in public life, it would diminish the impact of and for those who find themselves either unable to chose or unwilling to inhabit the gender the world sees them as. But for as long as there are men who seek to harm women - in the completely random way some men seem to - there'll be a need for women sometimes to know that everyone in the room is a woman in order to feel remotely safe. Which seems to be really where it gets difficult to chose who's rights must be protected first
Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
As you all know, I know nothing about sport, and care even less, but I was wondering if any sport is totally equal between men and women. The only one I thought MIGHT fit that is golf? I remember a woman fighting for the right to compete against men, but wasn't so keen on men playing in a "women's" tournament. Hardly equality there.
I read an article today about a trans woman golfer, who competes in men’s competitions because she feels she would have an unfair advantage over born female players. I think that shows proper sporting behaviour. Perhaps that’s what’s going wrong with competitiveness in sport today, the concept of unsportsmanlike behaviour has disappeared, winning takes priority over fairness.
I’m not fully in agreement with your viewpoint, @Ergates, as I have been very impressed in the contact sports at the Olympics by the respect shown by the victor to the loser and vice versa. (And I know what you meant to say in your post).
I suppose I would feel less strongly if it were a transgender male competing in a male category.. but putting that in reverse just doesn’t seem right. There’s a clear difference in physical attributes in general between men and women, and no sexual reassignment surgery or hormonal treatments can fully reverse the effect of testosterone in earlier lives.. unless the said transgender person has had puberty blocking treatment right from the start.. but the athlete in question had not, and in fact she competed in the male weightlifting category previously prior to transitioning - the amount of muscle mass she would have built up as a professional male weightlifter back then would have been tremendous - and rightly seem unfair to her current female competitors.
I agree with you, re the Olympics, BenCotto. It’s been generally very good natured, despite the high level of competitiveness. Apart from one of the boxers....
Posts
I think they have started some mixed gender events, which I great.
Whatever they do It will be a tough decision.
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
I remember a woman fighting for the right to compete against men, but wasn't so keen on men playing in a "women's" tournament. Hardly equality there.
Perhaps that’s what’s going wrong with competitiveness in sport today, the concept of unsportsmanlike behaviour has disappeared, winning takes priority over fairness.