I’m curious. What team do you want to allow transsexuals to play on?
posted by Agee on
I can’t answer for Stephen who famously does not engage with commenters, but my view is that life isn’t always able to be fair. Allowing anatomically and genetically male athletes who have gone through puberty as males to compete against women is patently unfair to their female competitors. Making them compete as men doesn’t seem right, either, but it is less wrong — and less unfair — then the alternative.
Transwomen should be treated as women when it makes sense and does not unfairly burden women — and athletic competition does not fit that bill. They are, alas, not fully women, but transwomen, which is it’s own category.
Allowing transmen to compete against men does not seem unfair because they don’t seem to have a special advantage in these contests.
posted by Jorge on
“This was a week where we saw a 15-year-old girl – Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva – crushed and humiliated in the eyes of the world after being accused of taking a banned substance.
…But the opprobrium heaped upon her slender young shoulders was certainly real enough, and I would surmise very hard to bear for one so young.
And yet were she a strapping 22-year-old biological male identifying as female, no one would bat an eyelid. Or, for that matter, dare to challenge her.”
Not how I’d make the comparison, but it must be made.
posted by Tom Jefferson on
Nope.
posted by Tom Jefferson on
Again, what team do you want to allow transsexuals and hermathidates to play on?
7 Comments for “There Will Be Backlash”
posted by Tom Jefferson on
I’m curious. What team do you want to allow transsexuals to play on?
posted by Agee on
I can’t answer for Stephen who famously does not engage with commenters, but my view is that life isn’t always able to be fair. Allowing anatomically and genetically male athletes who have gone through puberty as males to compete against women is patently unfair to their female competitors. Making them compete as men doesn’t seem right, either, but it is less wrong — and less unfair — then the alternative.
Transwomen should be treated as women when it makes sense and does not unfairly burden women — and athletic competition does not fit that bill. They are, alas, not fully women, but transwomen, which is it’s own category.
Allowing transmen to compete against men does not seem unfair because they don’t seem to have a special advantage in these contests.
posted by Jorge on
“This was a week where we saw a 15-year-old girl – Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva – crushed and humiliated in the eyes of the world after being accused of taking a banned substance.
…But the opprobrium heaped upon her slender young shoulders was certainly real enough, and I would surmise very hard to bear for one so young.
And yet were she a strapping 22-year-old biological male identifying as female, no one would bat an eyelid. Or, for that matter, dare to challenge her.”
Not how I’d make the comparison, but it must be made.
posted by Tom Jefferson on
Nope.
posted by Tom Jefferson on
Again, what team do you want to allow transsexuals and hermathidates to play on?
posted by Agee on
Maybe you could read my response above?
posted by Tom Jefferson on
I was talking to Stephen….