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Transgender man wins women's 100 yd and 400 yd freestyle races.

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  • Registered Users Posts: 3,656 ✭✭✭Enduro


    It's actually possible to have more than 1 issue, and for each issue to be tackled, either at the same time or in sequence, or a combination of both. Mad, isn't it!

    But this thread is about one of those issues, so all the others, whether past, present, or future, are not relevant to this thread.



  • Registered Users Posts: 759 ✭✭✭greyday


    There is a problem at the moment with people using sex and Gender as if they mean the same thing, a sleight of hand when it suits people, Sex is binary as we know, male and females with very very rare instances of deviation from this, I have lost count of the amount of genders we are now told there are which is enough to show it is very different from biological sex.



  • Registered Users Posts: 7,252 ✭✭✭plodder


    I wonder if that was George Simms where he says in the article below about darts, that he wants to see the end of gendered categories completely.

    He wrote this a few days ago:

    The rage against trans women’s inclusion in women’s darts is completely misguided. Unlike contact sports, there is no issue of safety and no evidence trans women hold any advantage in hand-eye coordination or any relevant skill to darts. Any discussion of the minutiae of motor function is instantly invalidated by the fact players at all levels still regularly compete after five pints of bitter.

    It strikes me that darts could potentially be a sport where trans women could compete at some level with women, so long as the women concerned are okay with it, and women who want to compete in women's only events can still do that. But no he wants an end to gendered categories completely.

    I wonder if Simms can conceive that drinking five pints of bitter, rather than "invalidating .. any discussion of the minutiae of motor function" might instead be a reason why some women wouldn't want to compete against males.

    At the end of the day, it seems mad pointing this out in the 21st century but women are entitled to their own categories excluding males if that's what they want.

    https://inews.co.uk/sport/transgender-darts-star-noa-lynn-van-leuven-bullied-tournament-3180489



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,723 ✭✭✭aero2k


    The transwomen who are entering women's sports to improve their chances of victory, wouldn't like to see one big open category.



  • Registered Users Posts: 3,268 ✭✭✭Hamsterchops


    When it comes to sport ones gender (in traditional terms) is very important, with men competing against men & women competing gainst women.

    Regarding all the newly created "genders" on the block, it really doesn't matter what label / personality they ascribe themselves, whether it be transgender, non-binary, agender, pangender, genderqueer or other, because the only thing that matters in sport is human anatomy & physiology, and that's either male or female, man xy or woman xx.



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  • Registered Users Posts: 657 ✭✭✭mjsc1970




  • Registered Users Posts: 1,108 ✭✭✭Vote4Squirrels


    Cyclist Emily Bridges had flatly refused to enter an open category - as it clear that by competing against other biological males they will be as unsuccessful as competing in the male category, like Lia Thomas - 500th place v men, first v women.



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,108 ✭✭✭Vote4Squirrels


    That's him @plodder - dreadful person and such a misogynistic opinion!!!



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,723 ✭✭✭aero2k


    Unfortunately, though the post you quoted is correct, there's still a lot of work to be done to ensure women can compete on a level playing field.



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,723 ✭✭✭aero2k


    Enduro correctly pointed out that the issues of drugs in sport and men in women's sports are separate. It did strike me though, that the proliferation of both has relied on cowardice by sporting organisations. There are numerous stories about positive drug tests being covered up to avoid embarrassment. The resoltion to the Lance Armstrong debacle only really gained traction due to the FDA getting involved - they were interested in offences of moving prohibited drugs across state lines rather than any sporting issue per se. It was obvious to anyone with even a casual knowledge of pro cycling that Armstrong was doping.

    Regarding men in women's sports, the chat between Stella O'Malley and coach Blade was very interesting. It's been going on forever, although not with the official approval we've seen in recent times. Apparently there were 9 males in women's sports at the Atlanta Olympics. Blade explains how eligibility was decided on the basis of politics rather than science.



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  • Registered Users Posts: 7,252 ✭✭✭plodder


    First, second and third places go to teams with transgender athletes apparently at a Washington women's team cycle race a few days ago.

    I say apparently, though from the photo, there isn't much doubt about the winner anyway …

    Serious point though, the Madison is a team event, and it looks like the best chance for women's teams now is to include a transgender male, at least until women are squeezed out completely.

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13660579/transgender-athletes-female-Washinton-cycling-championship.html



  • Registered Users Posts: 759 ✭✭✭greyday


    If you didnt know better you would think this was a piss take or some sort of prank!



  • Registered Users Posts: 3,656 ✭✭✭Enduro


    That's both unbelievable, and totally believable at the same time!

    It, yet again, shows that the "only small numbers" argument as the pile of evasive nonsense it is.



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,723 ✭✭✭aero2k


    Track cycling is a very physical sport, the bikes dont have brakes, the Madison event consists of two person teams where one slings the other into action. Add in significant physical disparity - what could go wrong?



  • Registered Users Posts: 3,268 ✭✭✭Hamsterchops


    Was listening to Sharon Dsvies being interviewed re the Olympics, and apparently the IOC won't take charge of the gender issue, so it's up to each individual sport as to how they govern their own disciplines. Swimming will not allow trans identifying males to compete against women, Track & field (athletics) too, same for hockey, cycling & boxing, which is great 👍

    However, there are other sports in the Olympics that will allow men (who identify as women) to compete against women!

    Not sure which sports they are though ……



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,108 ✭✭✭Vote4Squirrels


    Sharron Davies has absolutely skin in this game, she was facing athletes who were so full of drugs that no biological woman could beat them ….as with Riley Gaines and her team mates. Nothing has changed sadly.



  • Registered Users Posts: 3,656 ✭✭✭Enduro


    The IBA are a nasty corrupt mess of a governing body, but they appear to have higher standards than the IOC! feckin hell, I didn't see this coming…

    It'll be interesting to see how it is reported if either of these two end up in the ring with one of the Irish boxers in the Olympics.

    Good to see that Barry McGugian is questioning what is going on here



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,723 ✭✭✭aero2k


    I just flicked through the article. Punching power is 162% greater for those who have gone through male puberty - ah shure it'll be grand 😞.



  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 18,167 Mod ✭✭✭✭CatFromHue


    I don't think either athlete is trans, more than likely DSD.

    It's also their second Olympics for both of them and Harrington beat Khelif in 2020.



  • Registered Users Posts: 11,652 ✭✭✭✭Frank Bullitt


    For anyone wanting to know the difference between female and male performance, but say there is no data or evidence.

    Just watch the Olympics.



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  • Registered Users Posts: 7,657 ✭✭✭volchitsa


    It’s not about being against transgender people per se though. If they have a DSD, they will still be genetically either male or female. Caster Semenya, for instance, is genetically male and went through male puberty. It’s not Semenya’s fault but he is male, not female. If his disability prevents him from competing against able-bodied male runners then IMO he needs to be in the Paralympics (male categories). Same for these boxers.



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,108 ✭✭✭Vote4Squirrels


    It was the TRAs and their ilk who decided to include those with a DSD under their "umbrella" - I believe the blue circle on the yellow background on the so called "progress flag" denotes that group - and indeed one of the key themes of the recent Trans Pride event was "no medicalisation for intersex people" - odd that they wish to push medication and surgery on to kids who don't conform to outdated stereotypes, yet actively want to prevent the same for something that can be helped by medical intervention (removal of external testes on someone with DSD who has female DNA etc).

    I digress - Thursday we will have a male boxer, with stronger bones, larger muscles, a greater reach and almost three times the force in his punch than females - fighting a biological female. Because he's not especially good is irrelevant - sure Katie Taylor knocked out Paddy Barnes sparring, one offs happen.

    If this doesn't wake up people to keep women's sports for women, nothing will.



  • Registered Users Posts: 3,268 ✭✭✭Hamsterchops


    Well thanks for that Mr Squirrel, I wasn't aware until now …. So its actually going ahead on Thursday, and a man will be fighting and boxing the head off a woman in the ring - Wow!

    Very surprised its been allowed to get to this stage, and to proceed in the Olympics. And it's not just a one off, as two male boxers will be fighting in the female category, much to the disgust of Barry McGuigan. (Daily Mail 29th July).

    Apparently both male boxers were disqualified from the World Championships last year because basically, they are biologically male/men.

    Seems like the IOC are not too bothered about one's true gender in boxing🥊

    Wonder will there be an uproar and a backlash (when the public find out the truth)?



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,108 ✭✭✭Vote4Squirrels


    My feeling is there will be a last minute "injury" so no fight takes place and they think it can go away quietly.

    Good to see Barry McGuigan standing up for women boxers, fair play fella!



  • Registered Users Posts: 16,670 ✭✭✭✭Francie Barrett


    Two women’s football players with abnormally high testosterone score five goals in one game

    Shameful 😡



  • Registered Users Posts: 7,252 ✭✭✭plodder


    It’s possible some of these boxers (and footballers) have Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome, which can mean that testosterone didn’t have the same degree of effect on them when they were developing the primary sex characteristics in the womb. But, then you see some of them are fairly muscular looking. So, maybe AIS is not their situation, or if it is, the AIS is only partial. Who knows?

    AIS is very rare (over 80% of DSDs don’t have any impact on gender/sex despite what some would say) yet it’s not hard to see that a person with partial AIS raised as a woman could easily rise to the top of women’s sport.

    The whole area is a minefield, and you can see there is a need for sensitivity toward athletes who maybe have never been genetically tested before, but I don’t see any other way forward. It has to be based on simple rules (presence or absence of a Y chromosome). Some of these DSDs benefit from medical intervention, from a purely health perspective. So, it surely stands to reason that a one off sex test as early as possible in an athlete’s career is to everyone’s benefit. The other thing is someone with AIS who was raised as a woman, presumably has a female birth cert and passport etc. So, it doesn’t have to affect the rest of their lives, if that is how they identify.



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,108 ✭✭✭Vote4Squirrels


    When "sex testing" is referred to the usual nonsense begins like it's an initmate examination - it's a DNA cheek swab. End of.

    It is interesting to read the quote there "abnormally high testosterone levels" - not for a biological male, it's bang on the money.

    Hugely disappointed in the IOC spokesman yesterday addressing the controversy "but their passports say female".

    We will see tomorrow so.



  • Registered Users Posts: 2,748 ✭✭✭DeadHand


    The people who make that argument have zero knowledge of or interest in sport.

    They won't be watching anyway.



  • Registered Users Posts: 8,303 ✭✭✭ceadaoin.


    People with dsds are still either male of female though, and that should be the basis of where they compete. Could be wrong but are there any females with these issues trying compete with men? I don't think so. Or even any trans men in the men's categories? If not, I wonder why. It's a mystery I guess.



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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,108 ✭✭✭Vote4Squirrels


    I believe that is why the term "intersex" was phased out - 99% plus of the small number of people with a DSD are clearly one sex or the other but may have a high hormone level, or an internal organ that is of the opposite sex.

    The footballers here and the two boxers tomorrow are biologically and chromosomally male - they clearly have gone through male puberty.

    I really hope the fight doesn't happen but I hope this is not because the woman who has trained her life for this moment and feels she must withdraw for her safety.



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