Athletes trust us to coach them responsibility. We betray that responsibility when we withhold crucial information about a player’s sex that they need and deserved to know.
Our society is broken. I can't believe people have been dealing with this for over seven years now and people are still silenced and the whole system of authority is leveraged against them if they dare speak up. And even if you do speak up, no main stream media will cover it. I can't believe we've let it come to this. Men in women's sports. I'm ashamed to be part of Western society. It's an utter disgrace.
I’m a massage therapist and my mentor works in college sports specifically dive and swimming so he was the first to make me aware of this w Will Thomas when they happened. It is my belief these are all AGP males who hate females bc they aren’t truly trans but fetish loving cross dressers. This is the message we have to get out bc most people imagine these people being effeminate gay men in reality and mostly they aren’t. They are identical as lesbian and that is messed up
Because there was so much ambiguity, shifting and fidgeting from the top down, it allowed a lot of precedents to be set by default and confusion at the level of national federations, governing bodies (e.g., NCAA) and grassroots organizations; along with more than sufficient penumbra for activists and lawfare (see my reply to a comment above for my article on the lawyer network).
That’s a long story, but the short answer is that starting around 2000, genders ideology began to accelerate in the West and by 2014-15 was esconced in schools, in law, in medicine and in government. Anyone not agreeing was bullied and cancelled. If you don’t think men should be able to compete with women, you’re transphobic. And so now here we are, living in the Twilight zone.
It was even earlier. My ex-husband's diagnosis as "transsexual" by a profiteering and political PhD psychologist, was on July 20, 1993. Why do I know the exact date, when I had no idea he went to this appointment at the time? The psych submitted a sworn affidavit to court, proudly giving these details. The train went off the rails, the mental health field has lost the thread.
You’re absolutely right! This history started in early 20th century and has been building. I have heard you talk about your story and it is heartbreaking. This whole movement has been a tragedy and train wreck.
While my story and the stories I've collected from 56 other trans widows are heartbreaking, I try my utmost to give a message of hope. Stay connected to your body and to the natural world and your days will include joy. Here's a nature short from my channel:
I support those who have gender dysphoria and are trans-gender.
I also support woman (e.g. JK Rowling) who don't feel a trans-women is a woman in the same way that genetic women are.
The problem starts when trans-women enter women's sports with no real discussion and understanding of the impacts. I understand especially high school and college trans-women wanting to participate and compete in sports. I don't understand how sports just let trans-women compete as women with no discussion and especially trying to hide that they are trans-women.
Open straightforward discussion is where we need to get. The challenge is the both the vocal left and the vocal right preferred to be at war.
I recommend you read the recently released WPATH files and the report written by Mia Hughes (if you haven’t). Most transgender individuals, especially children and young people, have been lied to. My heart goes out to them.
I'm an advocate of the full treatment version of gender dysphoria. Doctor, Parent, Psychologists. The AMA and APA government should require that and then stay out of it.
I’m not sure I understand your position, specifically, “full treatment.” If you’ve read/watched everything the report contains about WPATH, years 2021-2023, it’s clear that this “health care” has been based on no underlying studies, little understanding of the long term effects of puberty blockers and cross sex hormones, and a full understanding that the minors being treated do not appreciate the ramifications of what they are giving consent to. Cognitive therapy and mental health treatment is NOT being given. It’s drugs and surgeries. It’s actually horrifying. But up until very recently, anyone who had questions or concerns about any of this has been bullied and cancelled. Fortunately for JK Rowling, she has so much money she can’t be cancelled. But many people are afraid to speak out, just as this article we are commenting on described. I hope we can begin to have a full conversation about all of this. If the conversation is allowed, the actual pseudo scientific basis of “gender affirming healthcare” will be exposed. But unfortunately there are thousands of young people with permanently altered bodies who have drastically reduced their opportunities for finding a partner or having a family. There are many other individuals whose lives, jobs, opportunities have been decimated (those cancelled, women who have had sports opportunities taken from them, etc.). People often talk about “the right side of history.” Although I think it’s very difficult for anyone to know what “the right side” is in the moment, I do believe history will judge this gender social contagion to be an incredibly destructive medical scandal.
The vocal trans community has pushed the divided states treatment to be "gender affirming" with no requirement for counseling or exploring history. This is especially problematic with youth. The full treatment model starts with counseling and doctor care. Counseling will likly identify more extenuating causes including family life, challenges at school, anxiety and depression. Doctors can initially treat depression and anxiety with anti-depressants if appropriate.
After sufficient counseling the possible of gender affirming medical care could be appropriate.
The progressive left and frankly Biden administration have been complicit in supporting the gender affirming model.
The Republican states have effective banned any type of gender dysphoria discussion and treatment.
Both are the problem. They would rather sensationalize and stay at war than really understand what is the best way to approach youth interest in gender transition and real cases of gender dysphoria.
Maybe its time I move to a rationale country like Denmark.
Good reply. Psychoanalysis together with mind/body movement work is probably the only healthy response to this psychiatric illness. We have to analyze it in the same way as anorexia.
When trans activists label you transphobic for merely seeking fairness, they're simply following the feminist playbook, whereby any man daring to question the myriad injustices heaped upon men in the name of promoting women, is labelled misogynist. It's a tried and true tactic for silencing your opponent in order to alter the rules of society in your favour, which is what women have been doing for decades. Now the trans lobby has turned the tables on women and you're getting a taste of your own medicine.
I think you don’t know my position on feminism or what I have supported and done during my life. I understand your point, but to tell me “you’re getting a taste of your own medicine “ is inappropriate and untrue for me.
You're right, my wording is unfair and inappropriate. Instead of "a taste of your own medicine" I should have said "a taste of the tactics used by feminists against men." Apologies for any offence given.
Apology accepted. As I said, you have valid points. I think that many tactics used by TRAs have been employed by some feminists, and that movement has culminated in almost a “war” on men which I detest. We’ve got a mess in this country.
Yes, the radical feminists have been waging a war against men and boys for decades now, and they've managed to infiltrate Western governments and institutions, where they've been extraordinarily successful in getting laws changed in their favour, at great cost to men and boys. TRAs have adopted similar tactics in their war against women and girls in sport, but despite some spectacular early success, it remains within the power of sporting bodies to develop rules to exclude blatant cheats like Lia Thomas and Semenya Caster. It's already happening at the elite level and will inevitably flow down to lower leagues. However, we're dealing with biological anomalies here, whose entry into sport in numbers is a relatively recent phenomenon, so it will take time for codes to develop appropriate rules and fend off TRA legal challenges. Plus of course the rules must be science based, requiring studies to demonstrate and quantify the various performance advantages associated with elevated testosterone levels in women. Which opens another can of worms, namely lesbian dominance in women's sports. It has long since been shown that lesbians have significantly higher testosterone levels than straight women. No surprise there, but what performance advantage does that confer, and is it fair to straight women?
Honest question: do you think that males who suffer from AIS such as Wambui, Semenya, are morally in the same category as open cheaters like Lia Thomas?
No. But the effect on the female athletes in the competition is the same because it's the same failure to define, recognize or enforce sex-based categories. And the potential consequences on the athletes and coaches if they say anything is the same because, as Colin pointed out in his reply, it's all been subsumed in the gender ideology package deal.
And further to his point (and a recent article I wrote), some of the same lawyers who represented Semenya are now representing Thomas. So we see in their work the conflation of different strains of gender expression trumping sex, at the expense of female athletes and threatening the meaningful existence of the female category.
Yes, absolutely. Caster Semenya was raised as a boy and is now married and fathered a child. These men are recruited from impoverished villages and absolutely understand that this is an economic opportunity. They know fully well they are not women. They don't care that they are stealing from women.
And they must love it that the world protects this racket because it's somehow racist to say that a black man with an DSD is a man. (Indeed, as the term implies, *all* disorders of sexual development are specific to the sex of the individual.)
Some males with Caster's DSD condition are able to sire children via IVF. Caster's wife used IVF, but the couple hasn't publicly said if they used Caster's gametes or a sperm donor.
They don’t have AIS. They have 5aR2D. I think there is a case to be made for people with complete androgen insensitivity syndrome to compete as females. They do not go through male puberty. I also don’t think it’s correct to compare trans athletes with intersex athletes. The latter has no choice.
Good question. I know if that was me, I'd withdraw, because I have an unfair advantage. I'm sure the coaches are indoctrinating them to claim their "rights." I assume they are infertile and cannot look forward to bearing children and other female rites of passage.
My ex-husband claims to be female, despite fathering our 2 sons. I was chagrined to find that he is a member of a martial arts club in NYC and spars against females. He's not huge, and some women might think they could come out ok. The facts though, are that male upper body strength, regardless of plastic surgeries and pills, remains significantly stronger than normal female musculature. And then, there's the rage they carry:
An an old-fashioned feminist who values fairness and sports safety for women, I'm proud to be labeled a transphobe or TERF. It doesn't change one bit who I am or how I look at myself. In fact, it frees me to be me and embrace reality which defines biological sex as male and female.
It won’t stop until biological women get their shit together as a group and refuse to compete against men. The day that happens the nonsense will end and there will no recriminations against the participants. It will happen eventually but sooner is better.
The difficulty with this perspective is that, like any boycott, it needs to be total to be effective. And for some women, there's an incentive to keeping - or at least tolerating - men in women's sports: it clears out the top women who won't stand for it, allowing them - the mediocre women - to rise in the rankings. That's not something I had thought of as an explanation until it came up in an interview with a female pro cyclist who left cyclocross because she had no desire to keeping competing against men.
I agree. And I want you to know, as the mother of children and ex-wife of a "Lia Thomas" type, who suddenly and unexpectedly "dressed," I fought every way possible in court. The judges, lawyers and court appointed child advocates are scared to death of the ACLU, GLAAD, Stonewall &etc getting involved, and they pressure transwidows like me into very disadvantageous "agreements." In western states (that is CA, OR, WA) mothers are regularly expected to agree that the children will see the AGP ex husband for equal time, and defined as every other week. No child safeguarding allowed. I have data on 57 of us.
Until males competing in female sports is blocked legally, the informed consent model is interesting. It can form a legal barriet called "I didn't give informed consent for a male to touch me".
Well-written article by the way, perfect prose with clear emotional investment that makes it human.
It's not only coaches and athletes who face backlash from trans activists. Google Erica Faginsky-Stark to see what happened to a school administrator who defended women’s sports on social media. She was put through hell and denied a position, all in the name of "kindness."
Wow, I wasn't familiar with Faginsky-Stark's story but I just read a few articles on it. Seems like one student complained about two year old Facebook posts, and that was enough for the district to disqualify Faginsky-Stark. Heckler's veto in full effect.
It was a ridiculous circus with even the local (UCC) minister testifying against her because she wasn't "inclusive" enough of the poor trans athletes. The fanaticism of the Puritans is back in full force in New England.
Supporters of this blog ought to be careful where they travel, or play their sport.
On 1st April the Scottish government is introducing The Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act. It expands the number of protected characteristics to include -
<“variations in sexual characteristics”. It changes the test of a crime against these groups from “where there is an intention to stir up hatred” to “where it is likely that hatred would be stirred up.” In other words the bill removes the need for the perpetrator to have shown an intention to “hate” in order to be indicted. “The only exception is if there is a ‘reasonable excuse’ – but no one can know how a court would interpret that” >
And no this isn’t an April fool joke.
The Scottish LGBTI Police Association and the Time for Inclusive Education (TIE) campaign group have promoted this at an event: “Attendees were presented with a scenario in which ‘Jo’ is described as a passionate gender-critical campaigner who says things like “there are only two genders” before rather quickly and dramatically escalating to “they all belong in the gas chambers”.
Joanna (JK) Rowling lives in Scotland, and has campaigned vigorously for the defence of biological women's rights, their safety and freedom to access women only spaces.
So there you have it. The Scottish police endorse the conflation of statements of biological fact with the worst of Nazi extremism, perfectly in tune with trans lobby tactic of weaponising language. With the law so close to hand, this surely smacks of a police state flexing its muscles.
As Joseph Goebbels, Nazi propagandist stated
“A lie told once remains a lie but a lie told a thousand times becomes the truth”
“Arguments must therefore be crude, clear and forcible, and appeal to emotions and instincts, not the intellect. Truth was unimportant and entirely subordinate to tactics and psychology”
Things like this have already made their way from the back of my mind to the front. I'm already thinking that if I ever meet Peter Eriksson in person, I might have to insist it's on my side of the border and not his.
This kind of thing leaves me red-eyed angry, because it is almost cartoonishly unfair.
I play in a local Ultimate Frisbee league that has embraced self-ID; you are the sex you say you are. Predictably, a male player (we'll say Kelly) announced transition and started playing against other women. When Kelly was a man, he typically stayed near the disc, probably because there are lots of men as fast or faster. We call this position a "handler", meaning you stay close and pass a lot. As soon as Kelly "became" a woman, well, then it was all running full-out down the field towards the end zone, because the biological women just can't keep up. When I first witnessed this, I thought the teeth were going to fall out of my jaw. What a cynical, grabby, self-absorbed way to participate in sports.
Who'd have thought that, not ten years after #MeToo, we'd be telling women who don't like competing against men in sports that the women are the problem?
I support transsexual adults, but I don't support Fascism or Authoritarianism and this is it. Not you writing, of course, but them silencing anyone who opposes. I support trans adults, I'm not a feminist, and even I can see there's a huge problem with trans women competing against females in sports. I practice martial arts and I train with my male classmates, but that's not the same setting as a competition where even another female could break my bones let alone a male much stronger than I am. I'm also disabled, so I don't understand why trans women can't accept their biological difference (many do, but some don't) and compete with others in their same biological category. I can't compete with able bodied people, I'd be demolished, me competing in a different category doesn't make me any less of a human or invalidates who I am...it takes care of me and others. I support Blaire White, Sara Higdon, and many other trans women who speak up against this insanity that's only hurting the transsexual community.
I can feel somewhat sorry for Caster Semenya, who had no choice about being born with his DSD. He does have a choice, though, about being unsporting by using his genetically, endocrinologically and athletically male body against female competitors. On the other hand, I have no sympathy for actual men who choose to cheat by competing in the women's category. Men showing women who's boss once again, and then playing victim when they get called out. Pathetic.
He. He he he him him him his his his. Caster Semenya, Francine Niyonsaba and Margaret Wambui are MEN—adult males. Semenya has even fathered two children!
Please don't use lie-pronouns. We're playing the game on the TRAs' home field whenever we do
You need to name names, federations, and sponsors who do the intimidation and bullying for these men who are playing in women's sports. The light needs to shine on these people
As often happens, decisions are made within institutions and the people who actually make those decisions are subsumed by the institution. I'm working on another article where I've been trying for some time to get any info into who made such decisions in a relatively small organization. You'd think some people would be lining up to take credit, and a maybe a few others would want to assign blame, but no joy so far. Every once in a while, though, things play out sufficiently publicly that you can piece together a network of people as I did in the article below about the lawyers who represented Semenya and Lia Thomas. https://thefederalist.com/2024/02/02/how-lia-thomas-and-a-small-cabal-of-lawyers-are-waging-lawfare-across-womens-sports/
Our society is broken. I can't believe people have been dealing with this for over seven years now and people are still silenced and the whole system of authority is leveraged against them if they dare speak up. And even if you do speak up, no main stream media will cover it. I can't believe we've let it come to this. Men in women's sports. I'm ashamed to be part of Western society. It's an utter disgrace.
I’m a massage therapist and my mentor works in college sports specifically dive and swimming so he was the first to make me aware of this w Will Thomas when they happened. It is my belief these are all AGP males who hate females bc they aren’t truly trans but fetish loving cross dressers. This is the message we have to get out bc most people imagine these people being effeminate gay men in reality and mostly they aren’t. They are identical as lesbian and that is messed up
I don't understand why genetic men have been allowed to compete in women's sports.
When did the official change happen? What were the conditions that it got approved under?
This is one of the best histories, by Fiona McAnena of Fair Play for Women and SexMatters.
https://www.spiked-online.com/2023/12/14/the-trans-colonisation-of-womens-sports/
Because there was so much ambiguity, shifting and fidgeting from the top down, it allowed a lot of precedents to be set by default and confusion at the level of national federations, governing bodies (e.g., NCAA) and grassroots organizations; along with more than sufficient penumbra for activists and lawfare (see my reply to a comment above for my article on the lawyer network).
This was an excellent history and analysis of transgenderism in women’s sports. Thanks for posting.
That’s a long story, but the short answer is that starting around 2000, genders ideology began to accelerate in the West and by 2014-15 was esconced in schools, in law, in medicine and in government. Anyone not agreeing was bullied and cancelled. If you don’t think men should be able to compete with women, you’re transphobic. And so now here we are, living in the Twilight zone.
It was even earlier. My ex-husband's diagnosis as "transsexual" by a profiteering and political PhD psychologist, was on July 20, 1993. Why do I know the exact date, when I had no idea he went to this appointment at the time? The psych submitted a sworn affidavit to court, proudly giving these details. The train went off the rails, the mental health field has lost the thread.
You’re absolutely right! This history started in early 20th century and has been building. I have heard you talk about your story and it is heartbreaking. This whole movement has been a tragedy and train wreck.
While my story and the stories I've collected from 56 other trans widows are heartbreaking, I try my utmost to give a message of hope. Stay connected to your body and to the natural world and your days will include joy. Here's a nature short from my channel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FypdBVn6J8E&list=PLOFlPPQm71IiJa8ynlIr92ohumWX0aejr&index=10
Gorgeous. Thanks for posting.
What a miserable experience for you, Ute. I’m so sorry. I hope you are well rid of him by now.
I support those who have gender dysphoria and are trans-gender.
I also support woman (e.g. JK Rowling) who don't feel a trans-women is a woman in the same way that genetic women are.
The problem starts when trans-women enter women's sports with no real discussion and understanding of the impacts. I understand especially high school and college trans-women wanting to participate and compete in sports. I don't understand how sports just let trans-women compete as women with no discussion and especially trying to hide that they are trans-women.
Open straightforward discussion is where we need to get. The challenge is the both the vocal left and the vocal right preferred to be at war.
I recommend you read the recently released WPATH files and the report written by Mia Hughes (if you haven’t). Most transgender individuals, especially children and young people, have been lied to. My heart goes out to them.
I have been following that.
I'm an advocate of the full treatment version of gender dysphoria. Doctor, Parent, Psychologists. The AMA and APA government should require that and then stay out of it.
I’m not sure I understand your position, specifically, “full treatment.” If you’ve read/watched everything the report contains about WPATH, years 2021-2023, it’s clear that this “health care” has been based on no underlying studies, little understanding of the long term effects of puberty blockers and cross sex hormones, and a full understanding that the minors being treated do not appreciate the ramifications of what they are giving consent to. Cognitive therapy and mental health treatment is NOT being given. It’s drugs and surgeries. It’s actually horrifying. But up until very recently, anyone who had questions or concerns about any of this has been bullied and cancelled. Fortunately for JK Rowling, she has so much money she can’t be cancelled. But many people are afraid to speak out, just as this article we are commenting on described. I hope we can begin to have a full conversation about all of this. If the conversation is allowed, the actual pseudo scientific basis of “gender affirming healthcare” will be exposed. But unfortunately there are thousands of young people with permanently altered bodies who have drastically reduced their opportunities for finding a partner or having a family. There are many other individuals whose lives, jobs, opportunities have been decimated (those cancelled, women who have had sports opportunities taken from them, etc.). People often talk about “the right side of history.” Although I think it’s very difficult for anyone to know what “the right side” is in the moment, I do believe history will judge this gender social contagion to be an incredibly destructive medical scandal.
https://environmentalprogress.org/big-news/wpath-files
The vocal trans community has pushed the divided states treatment to be "gender affirming" with no requirement for counseling or exploring history. This is especially problematic with youth. The full treatment model starts with counseling and doctor care. Counseling will likly identify more extenuating causes including family life, challenges at school, anxiety and depression. Doctors can initially treat depression and anxiety with anti-depressants if appropriate.
After sufficient counseling the possible of gender affirming medical care could be appropriate.
I'm Danish. The position is consistent with where Denmark is on treating gender dysphoria. https://segm.org/Denmark-sharply-restricts-youth-gender-transitions
The progressive left and frankly Biden administration have been complicit in supporting the gender affirming model.
The Republican states have effective banned any type of gender dysphoria discussion and treatment.
Both are the problem. They would rather sensationalize and stay at war than really understand what is the best way to approach youth interest in gender transition and real cases of gender dysphoria.
Maybe its time I move to a rationale country like Denmark.
Good reply. Psychoanalysis together with mind/body movement work is probably the only healthy response to this psychiatric illness. We have to analyze it in the same way as anorexia.
The problem also intrudes into the family when a man suddenly says he's also the mother of the children. It's not benign.
When trans activists label you transphobic for merely seeking fairness, they're simply following the feminist playbook, whereby any man daring to question the myriad injustices heaped upon men in the name of promoting women, is labelled misogynist. It's a tried and true tactic for silencing your opponent in order to alter the rules of society in your favour, which is what women have been doing for decades. Now the trans lobby has turned the tables on women and you're getting a taste of your own medicine.
I think you don’t know my position on feminism or what I have supported and done during my life. I understand your point, but to tell me “you’re getting a taste of your own medicine “ is inappropriate and untrue for me.
You're right, my wording is unfair and inappropriate. Instead of "a taste of your own medicine" I should have said "a taste of the tactics used by feminists against men." Apologies for any offence given.
Apology accepted. As I said, you have valid points. I think that many tactics used by TRAs have been employed by some feminists, and that movement has culminated in almost a “war” on men which I detest. We’ve got a mess in this country.
Yes, the radical feminists have been waging a war against men and boys for decades now, and they've managed to infiltrate Western governments and institutions, where they've been extraordinarily successful in getting laws changed in their favour, at great cost to men and boys. TRAs have adopted similar tactics in their war against women and girls in sport, but despite some spectacular early success, it remains within the power of sporting bodies to develop rules to exclude blatant cheats like Lia Thomas and Semenya Caster. It's already happening at the elite level and will inevitably flow down to lower leagues. However, we're dealing with biological anomalies here, whose entry into sport in numbers is a relatively recent phenomenon, so it will take time for codes to develop appropriate rules and fend off TRA legal challenges. Plus of course the rules must be science based, requiring studies to demonstrate and quantify the various performance advantages associated with elevated testosterone levels in women. Which opens another can of worms, namely lesbian dominance in women's sports. It has long since been shown that lesbians have significantly higher testosterone levels than straight women. No surprise there, but what performance advantage does that confer, and is it fair to straight women?
Honest question: do you think that males who suffer from AIS such as Wambui, Semenya, are morally in the same category as open cheaters like Lia Thomas?
No. I think they're often lied to by doctors and activists who are using them as an ideological wedge to further their own agenda.
Did you see Jennifer Lee's comment below? Semenya fathered a child!
No. But the effect on the female athletes in the competition is the same because it's the same failure to define, recognize or enforce sex-based categories. And the potential consequences on the athletes and coaches if they say anything is the same because, as Colin pointed out in his reply, it's all been subsumed in the gender ideology package deal.
And further to his point (and a recent article I wrote), some of the same lawyers who represented Semenya are now representing Thomas. So we see in their work the conflation of different strains of gender expression trumping sex, at the expense of female athletes and threatening the meaningful existence of the female category.
https://thefederalist.com/2024/02/02/how-lia-thomas-and-a-small-cabal-of-lawyers-are-waging-lawfare-across-womens-sports/
Yes, absolutely. Caster Semenya was raised as a boy and is now married and fathered a child. These men are recruited from impoverished villages and absolutely understand that this is an economic opportunity. They know fully well they are not women. They don't care that they are stealing from women.
And they must love it that the world protects this racket because it's somehow racist to say that a black man with an DSD is a man. (Indeed, as the term implies, *all* disorders of sexual development are specific to the sex of the individual.)
Some males with Caster's DSD condition are able to sire children via IVF. Caster's wife used IVF, but the couple hasn't publicly said if they used Caster's gametes or a sperm donor.
They don’t have AIS. They have 5aR2D. I think there is a case to be made for people with complete androgen insensitivity syndrome to compete as females. They do not go through male puberty. I also don’t think it’s correct to compare trans athletes with intersex athletes. The latter has no choice.
Good question. I know if that was me, I'd withdraw, because I have an unfair advantage. I'm sure the coaches are indoctrinating them to claim their "rights." I assume they are infertile and cannot look forward to bearing children and other female rites of passage.
The Wikipedia page on Semenya has info. Apparently she has a high testosterone level.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caster_Semenya
They’re not the same as trans but it’s not clear from my reading if they have any XY advantage. It’s a rare condition.
Excellent article, many thanks for this. As a boomer aged male who has had a life in sport personally I've had nothing to lose.
Push back in whatever form is essential. I do detect a slight slow turning of the tide. Here in NZ it's been helped by a change in government.
Thanks again.
My ex-husband claims to be female, despite fathering our 2 sons. I was chagrined to find that he is a member of a martial arts club in NYC and spars against females. He's not huge, and some women might think they could come out ok. The facts though, are that male upper body strength, regardless of plastic surgeries and pills, remains significantly stronger than normal female musculature. And then, there's the rage they carry:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-V2WVBLcJM
An an old-fashioned feminist who values fairness and sports safety for women, I'm proud to be labeled a transphobe or TERF. It doesn't change one bit who I am or how I look at myself. In fact, it frees me to be me and embrace reality which defines biological sex as male and female.
It won’t stop until biological women get their shit together as a group and refuse to compete against men. The day that happens the nonsense will end and there will no recriminations against the participants. It will happen eventually but sooner is better.
The difficulty with this perspective is that, like any boycott, it needs to be total to be effective. And for some women, there's an incentive to keeping - or at least tolerating - men in women's sports: it clears out the top women who won't stand for it, allowing them - the mediocre women - to rise in the rankings. That's not something I had thought of as an explanation until it came up in an interview with a female pro cyclist who left cyclocross because she had no desire to keeping competing against men.
https://thefemalecategory.substack.com/p/why-holly-lavesser-left-cyclocross
I agree. And I want you to know, as the mother of children and ex-wife of a "Lia Thomas" type, who suddenly and unexpectedly "dressed," I fought every way possible in court. The judges, lawyers and court appointed child advocates are scared to death of the ACLU, GLAAD, Stonewall &etc getting involved, and they pressure transwidows like me into very disadvantageous "agreements." In western states (that is CA, OR, WA) mothers are regularly expected to agree that the children will see the AGP ex husband for equal time, and defined as every other week. No child safeguarding allowed. I have data on 57 of us.
Until males competing in female sports is blocked legally, the informed consent model is interesting. It can form a legal barriet called "I didn't give informed consent for a male to touch me".
Well-written article by the way, perfect prose with clear emotional investment that makes it human.
It's not only coaches and athletes who face backlash from trans activists. Google Erica Faginsky-Stark to see what happened to a school administrator who defended women’s sports on social media. She was put through hell and denied a position, all in the name of "kindness."
Wow, I wasn't familiar with Faginsky-Stark's story but I just read a few articles on it. Seems like one student complained about two year old Facebook posts, and that was enough for the district to disqualify Faginsky-Stark. Heckler's veto in full effect.
It was a ridiculous circus with even the local (UCC) minister testifying against her because she wasn't "inclusive" enough of the poor trans athletes. The fanaticism of the Puritans is back in full force in New England.
Supporters of this blog ought to be careful where they travel, or play their sport.
On 1st April the Scottish government is introducing The Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act. It expands the number of protected characteristics to include -
<“variations in sexual characteristics”. It changes the test of a crime against these groups from “where there is an intention to stir up hatred” to “where it is likely that hatred would be stirred up.” In other words the bill removes the need for the perpetrator to have shown an intention to “hate” in order to be indicted. “The only exception is if there is a ‘reasonable excuse’ – but no one can know how a court would interpret that” >
And no this isn’t an April fool joke.
The Scottish LGBTI Police Association and the Time for Inclusive Education (TIE) campaign group have promoted this at an event: “Attendees were presented with a scenario in which ‘Jo’ is described as a passionate gender-critical campaigner who says things like “there are only two genders” before rather quickly and dramatically escalating to “they all belong in the gas chambers”.
Joanna (JK) Rowling lives in Scotland, and has campaigned vigorously for the defence of biological women's rights, their safety and freedom to access women only spaces.
So there you have it. The Scottish police endorse the conflation of statements of biological fact with the worst of Nazi extremism, perfectly in tune with trans lobby tactic of weaponising language. With the law so close to hand, this surely smacks of a police state flexing its muscles.
As Joseph Goebbels, Nazi propagandist stated
“A lie told once remains a lie but a lie told a thousand times becomes the truth”
“Arguments must therefore be crude, clear and forcible, and appeal to emotions and instincts, not the intellect. Truth was unimportant and entirely subordinate to tactics and psychology”
https://www.lindsays.co.uk/news-and-insights/insights/an-analysis-of-scotlands-proposed-new-hate-crime-law-with-reaction
https://forwomen.scot/20/03/2024/police-accused-of-parodying-jk-rowling/
Things like this have already made their way from the back of my mind to the front. I'm already thinking that if I ever meet Peter Eriksson in person, I might have to insist it's on my side of the border and not his.
Trans rights are clearly more important than women’s rights.
This kind of thing leaves me red-eyed angry, because it is almost cartoonishly unfair.
I play in a local Ultimate Frisbee league that has embraced self-ID; you are the sex you say you are. Predictably, a male player (we'll say Kelly) announced transition and started playing against other women. When Kelly was a man, he typically stayed near the disc, probably because there are lots of men as fast or faster. We call this position a "handler", meaning you stay close and pass a lot. As soon as Kelly "became" a woman, well, then it was all running full-out down the field towards the end zone, because the biological women just can't keep up. When I first witnessed this, I thought the teeth were going to fall out of my jaw. What a cynical, grabby, self-absorbed way to participate in sports.
Who'd have thought that, not ten years after #MeToo, we'd be telling women who don't like competing against men in sports that the women are the problem?
I support transsexual adults, but I don't support Fascism or Authoritarianism and this is it. Not you writing, of course, but them silencing anyone who opposes. I support trans adults, I'm not a feminist, and even I can see there's a huge problem with trans women competing against females in sports. I practice martial arts and I train with my male classmates, but that's not the same setting as a competition where even another female could break my bones let alone a male much stronger than I am. I'm also disabled, so I don't understand why trans women can't accept their biological difference (many do, but some don't) and compete with others in their same biological category. I can't compete with able bodied people, I'd be demolished, me competing in a different category doesn't make me any less of a human or invalidates who I am...it takes care of me and others. I support Blaire White, Sara Higdon, and many other trans women who speak up against this insanity that's only hurting the transsexual community.
I can feel somewhat sorry for Caster Semenya, who had no choice about being born with his DSD. He does have a choice, though, about being unsporting by using his genetically, endocrinologically and athletically male body against female competitors. On the other hand, I have no sympathy for actual men who choose to cheat by competing in the women's category. Men showing women who's boss once again, and then playing victim when they get called out. Pathetic.
He. He he he him him him his his his. Caster Semenya, Francine Niyonsaba and Margaret Wambui are MEN—adult males. Semenya has even fathered two children!
Please don't use lie-pronouns. We're playing the game on the TRAs' home field whenever we do
You need to name names, federations, and sponsors who do the intimidation and bullying for these men who are playing in women's sports. The light needs to shine on these people
ACLU, GLAAD, Stonewall, Trevor Project, Democratic National Party, and let's see . . . Bud Lite, Nike, Sephora make up, Target . . .
How about names of individuals? These people need to be called out
As often happens, decisions are made within institutions and the people who actually make those decisions are subsumed by the institution. I'm working on another article where I've been trying for some time to get any info into who made such decisions in a relatively small organization. You'd think some people would be lining up to take credit, and a maybe a few others would want to assign blame, but no joy so far. Every once in a while, though, things play out sufficiently publicly that you can piece together a network of people as I did in the article below about the lawyers who represented Semenya and Lia Thomas. https://thefederalist.com/2024/02/02/how-lia-thomas-and-a-small-cabal-of-lawyers-are-waging-lawfare-across-womens-sports/