Even if true, she was born and assigned female gender. About 1 in 60 babies are born with genitalia that don't fully match their sex chromosomes. Most of them are completely unaware of their genetic sex, and at least some of them are surgically "assigned" based on the most apparent physical gender as babies. Biological sex and gender are correlated, but not fully causally related. Most animal species have a gender spectrum, humans included. That said, she is not transgender because she was born female and remains female. But, did you know that some species change gender based on their environment? Also, some mammals can choose the sex of their offspring.
Over 900 females lost medals to trans-identifying females (males) in sports according to the UN. So while we are getting really granular on Iman and discussing interesting points, but points that generally ignore the our human reality, the problem is....bigger.
It's also worth noting that more than twice that many people are injured by lighting each year in Florida alone. We still refer to something as being rare by likening it to the chances of being struck by lightning. Pretty darn rare. Meanwhile, more than 5x that many people die in car wrecks because we've failed to regulate the size of motor vehicles. Seems like that could be readily addressed and have a real impact on lives. I could provide so many more examples where more people are impacted in much more meaningful ways. But I hope you get the drift.
Boxing is about punching people without remorse. Swimming is about going for the gold. I don't know when women became so precious that we lost our sense of competition. Sports is about getting beat sometimes - usually by people with an athletic advantage. No one complains when Michael Phelps - with his unusual anatomy that gives him competitive advantage - wins scores of gold medals.
Genetics IS a thing. But probably not in the way you're suggesting. I'm curious what your background in genetics is. I have a PhD in cancer biology, which required several advanced courses in genetics, not to mention that my thesis revolved around the function of a protein that influenced expression of genes during development. Don't get me wrong, that doesn't make me a geneticist, let alone a geneticist that specializes in sex determination and the impact of genetic expression and environmental factors on sex traits. BUT...I am pretty well versed on how genetics isn't the equivalent of fate. If you can speak knowledgeably in the subject, I wouldn't mind discussing how much of a thing genetics is. If not, let's not pretend that the phrase "[this complex scientific concept] is a thing" is a cogent point.
You'll have to define "physical man." In my experience, the phenotypes of male humans vary significantly, as do the phenotypes of female humans. There's a significant amount of overlap driven by genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors. And, no. In many sports, feminine traits provide an advantage over masculine traits. Also, life's not fair and sports are entertainment.
This thread is totally off topic, but I wanted to offer my two cents since we're already here.
I try to understand everyone's perspective, but this is the issue I find most difficult. Biological men and women are different. This is based on science. This is something we all inherently know and does not require "evidence." Yes, there is overlap, but not when it comes to elite-level competition. There is a reason we only see biological men competing in women's sports and not the other way around.
The female desire to be tolerant and respectful has led us to be silent regarding biological men's encroachment into women's spaces. There should be spaces reserved for biological women. I cannot believe this is a controversial opinion. We've been told to use language like chestfeeding, bonus hole, and female penis to protect the feelings of men under the guise of inclusivity. Women have been made uncomfortable time and again to literally protect biological men. Women have paid the entire price of this issue with lost opportunity, safety, and dignity.
What do you believe should be protected as women's spaces? If there are women's spaces, there also needs to be men's spaces. What do you think those should be? I might agree that there should be protected spaces, but it is inherently untrue that you can apply a blanket statement that biological men and biological women are different because there is no actual scientific basis for such a black and white claim. Which box do we put humans with an XXY genotype or an XYY genotype? What about a single X chromosome? What about people born with an XY genotype and female genitalia, or XX genotype and born with male genitalia? Or people born with mosaicism (some cells are XY, some cells are XX)? How about people with gonadal dysgenesis?Statistically speaking, about 1 in 60 babies are born with genitalia that don't fully match their chromosomal sex. Do they get left out of gender specific safe spaces because biology is less discerning than your opinion? How about we just be decent to each other and punish only those that violate the safety and autonomy of others? If we need to separate everyone on the basis of inherent physical attributes, at least in sports, let's do that. But let's not base it on inaccurate understanding of how genetics works. Genetics is a code with volume buttons not a demand with on/off switches. Also, the claim that only "males" are trying to participate in female sports, not the other way around, is unfounded. Given that we're not genetically testing all humans, and many people never know that their chromosomes don't match their assigned-at-birth gender, we have no idea how many "genetic females" are competing in male sports. Look up de la Chappelle syndrome - it's rarely diagnosed before fertility issues pop up, yet 1 in 20000 boy babies are actually genetically female. 51% of babies born in the US are identified as male. That means that, of the 3.6 million babies born in 2023, around 100 of them had XX chromosomes. The male population in the US is about 165 million. There are probably more than 8000 men in the US living normal "biological male" lives who are chromosomally female due to de la Chappelle syndrome alone, not to mention the other hidden gender anomalies out there. When you find all of them and confirm that they're not trying to compete in "female" sports, I'll concede the point.
There is no evidence that biological men and biological woman are different? I think everyone really just needs to stop reading anything you say because clearly you are living somewhere else.
Simple question then -- do you believe in domestic violence? Why are so many women and children victims of domestic violence? If there is no difference why can't they simply just fight off their attackers? Or is that just an imaginary problem now?
It is not true that trans men do not compete in sports. I invite you to take a look at Schuyler Bailar's swimming career on the Harvard team where he ranked third fastest after having transitioned, as one point of reference. He also has an excellent book called He/She/They that gets further into this topic.
Also, I follow the trans community fairly closely and see basically no one using the terms chestfeeding, bonus hole, or female penis. So... I don't know where you're pulling those from. Regardless, as a woman, I feel absolutely no loss in sharing protected spaces with trans women who are far more discriminated against than I have ever been in my life. They deserve our protection, not our anger.
They deserve to be treated with respect. That doesn't grant biological men the right to enter female spaces. You may feel no loss, but what about the millions of women who do? Is your opinion more valid because you believe it to be more compassionate?
I know I'm not supposed to say that my opinion is more valid because it's based in compassion, but... I obviously believe that to be the case. Sports is unfair. At its very core, sports are designed to be unfair. The best competitors rise to the top and everyone else loses. We design subjective parameters, including gender, to make sports be "more fair," but that's all they are - subjective. I'd encourage you to investigate why you can't widen your space just the tiniest bit to include someone who meets every other subjective parameter already attached to the sport.
Should trans men then have to use women’s restrooms? I have met many trans men that are extremely masculine and I can promise you wouldn’t know they were assigned female at birth. And doesn’t this open the door for more predatory cis men to simply pretend to be trans men to attack women if that’s the fear? Trans women have been using women’s bathrooms for decades both because they should also feel safe, and they aren’t dangerous. Why put them in to a situation where they will feel in danger?
Gender does not have to be the only method for separating sports. Weight classes and skill levels are used in so many sports to create fair footing. The sports you referenced have qualification standards for their athletes (all of which trans athletes must meet to compete). Trans athletes usually don't win first place.
Genetics do matter. A “trans woman” has an increased lung capacity, larger heart, higher muscle mass among other factors that must not be ignored. These don’t change by merely reidentification.
No, he competed in the field under the sports’ set qualifications standards and completely squashed the competition. We all (rightly) praise him for that. If trans people qualify for their sport based on the sports’ qualifications standards, then it shouldn’t matter who wins and what biological anomalies they might have.
And who determines who has a penis? Shall we put someone in charge of inspecting genitals in every school, every competition? Shall girls and women submit to genital inspections just before each competition, or is once a year enough? Girls and women have been policed for generations for being too good in sports. Caster Semanya, Iman Khelif, and so many other women have been derided or even disqualified because they were "too good" to compete in women's sports. There is no equivalence in men's sports. Frankly, it's bullshit. The girls that work hard better work hard enough to win. Period.
Females don’t stand a chance against a biological man, why have women’s sports then? Why have anything that favors women? It’s a man’s world right? (Sarcasm)
Gosh, I genuinely don't understand how the Right-wing media has somehow convinced millions of people that there are scores of trans women just waiting to push women off their sports pedestals. It's simply not the case. Even the loudest objector, Riley Gaines, TIED with a trans woman for FIFTH place. If trans women were such a threat to sports, we'd see the actual evidence of that in all sports across all categories. We don't because the threat doesn't exist. Women's spaces are safe and sound. But you're right, it is a man's world where they continue to enjoy their higher pay, more visibility, etc. while we squabble with each other about who is woman enough.
Here, the term "precious" refers to "overly sensitive" or "overly delicate." It's derogatory, not complimentary. The point is that when did women become so weak and helpless that we can't handle competition. When we step into a boxing ring, shouldn't we expect to get punched? That's the point of the sport. As a woman, I'm fine with competing with men. I'm better at a lot of things that many men aren't, and vice versa. Even in "traditionally masculine" areas. Most women are fine with competing with men. And we don't need anyone to protect us. I literally don't have a fight in the ring for women's boxing. But I do recall that Angela Carini, the woman that got beat in the match that set of the rumors that Khelif was transgender (she's not), made it clear that she didn't think that her "defenders" had a fight in the ring, either. Carini doesn't need your protection, so why do you insist on it?
Sure. But recall that you brought it up. If you don't want to discuss the facts, then I recommend you don't open the door to the conversation. The long and short of it is that women boxers get punched because that's what the sport is, and there's absolutely no proof that men are boxing against women in the Olympics. Rumor and innuendo are not a reasonable basis for opinion and debate.
I'll be honest. Even if I believed that this was likely to happen, I really don't care. In no timeline will I ever believe that sports should be the reason we trade democracy for fascism. Hell, I don't even believe sports is a good reason to subscribe to cable television, let alone an excuse to take away human rights. In fact, I feel pretty strongly that there is nothing important enough to even think about treating our beautiful country and its morals and Constitution as disposable. I will not accept what happened on January 6, 2021 as ok, let alone believe that violent criminals complicit in trying to overthrow the peaceful transition of power is anything other than treason (whether it meets the legal definition or not). Those accepting a pardon is an acceptance of guilt to insurrection. And the very act of pardoning them is, in my mind, aid and comfort to an enemy to the United States.
Lol about sports, not my cup of tea either tbh, although I do believe in fairness. But who is to say what is fair and what isn’t? Is it all opinion, no black and white areas, only gray? As for J6, many more innocent were imprisoned unfairly than not, some should be punished (and Trump did state they have all served time now so what is enough punishment?). Look up Sharyl Atkisson’s Substack where she wrote an article complete with facts backing her up, about people planted in the crowds to incite others, the question about did Nancy Pelosi refuse to send national guard (her daughter says she refused), … it may not change your mind but maybe you’ll see more of what I see and show me grace. I posted the link in the comments here too, further down.
As for fascism, I have faith in our country’s rules that we won’t allow that to happen, no matter who is in charge. I do believe Biden was worse than Trump so I hold on to hope as I try to be more active in issues. I do thank you for the conversation.
People are way overly concerned about trans people. According to USA Facts, approximately 1.14% of the nation's adult population, or 3 million Americans, identify as transgender. They are not going to take over the world and they are not going to hurt anyone. These sports cases are so rare but they get all blown up, just to be made an example of. They are just people wanting to live their lives like the rest of us get to. As Rachel has explained, gender and sexuality are a continuum. It's religion and dogma in our culture that has made us think otherwise.
The only time I care is when it’s so blatantly bad, live your life but when you play fair you end up at the bottom so you switch teams to win. Then I object.
When has this happened to you, where a transgender person caused you to end up at the bottom? It's happened to me before, though not in sports, but it was just good old fashioned sexism. Let's maybe deal with the inherent sexism of the rules and laws that we already have than tackle the 3 instances in 8.2 billion that it allegedly happens in a world where the least of our worries is whether a game is fair.
Did you address the sexism Rachel, or let it slide? If I worked my entire life to win something and lose it to someone who wouldn’t have been able to just a year or two before, then yeah, I would question it.
I'm sorry to get sarcastic here, but yeah. I waved my anti discrimination wand and it was totally fixed. But I've never had to use my wand to prevent a transgender person from ruining my day, despite knowing several, because systemic transgenderism is vanishingly rare. Instead, I do what I can at the ballot box to deal with common sexism, and I think about systemic transgenderism after I worry about how unfair it is that unicorns don't need wands because they're genetically magic and I'm not.
Let’s not forget that men and women were separated during tournaments due to women’s advancement in competition. Women were showing that they could beat a man, and therefore the men organized a separate category for women. Like bathroom bills, these gender-based concerns aren’t about protecting women at all.
If anything they’re putting cis women at risk as well. What happens when a cis woman is accused of being trans in a public bathroom? What sort of trauma will she be subjected to? Or what about trans women who have undergone bottom surgery? Which bathroom are they supposed to safely use?
It’s more about the trans boxer that bashed the girl’s face in with no remorse. The swimmer who took a gold medal from a female…
What trans boxer? If you're referring to Iman Khalif, she's not trans, so your source is not trustworthy.
Actually XY, so male
Even if true, she was born and assigned female gender. About 1 in 60 babies are born with genitalia that don't fully match their sex chromosomes. Most of them are completely unaware of their genetic sex, and at least some of them are surgically "assigned" based on the most apparent physical gender as babies. Biological sex and gender are correlated, but not fully causally related. Most animal species have a gender spectrum, humans included. That said, she is not transgender because she was born female and remains female. But, did you know that some species change gender based on their environment? Also, some mammals can choose the sex of their offspring.
Over 900 females lost medals to trans-identifying females (males) in sports according to the UN. So while we are getting really granular on Iman and discussing interesting points, but points that generally ignore the our human reality, the problem is....bigger.
Yet, the problem is still miniscule. And will never actually amount to being important enough to trade our democracy for.
It's also worth noting that more than twice that many people are injured by lighting each year in Florida alone. We still refer to something as being rare by likening it to the chances of being struck by lightning. Pretty darn rare. Meanwhile, more than 5x that many people die in car wrecks because we've failed to regulate the size of motor vehicles. Seems like that could be readily addressed and have a real impact on lives. I could provide so many more examples where more people are impacted in much more meaningful ways. But I hope you get the drift.
No one has presented any evidence that her chromosomes are XY.
Fallon Fox?
Boxing is about punching people without remorse. Swimming is about going for the gold. I don't know when women became so precious that we lost our sense of competition. Sports is about getting beat sometimes - usually by people with an athletic advantage. No one complains when Michael Phelps - with his unusual anatomy that gives him competitive advantage - wins scores of gold medals.
Genetics is a thing.
Genetics IS a thing. But probably not in the way you're suggesting. I'm curious what your background in genetics is. I have a PhD in cancer biology, which required several advanced courses in genetics, not to mention that my thesis revolved around the function of a protein that influenced expression of genes during development. Don't get me wrong, that doesn't make me a geneticist, let alone a geneticist that specializes in sex determination and the impact of genetic expression and environmental factors on sex traits. BUT...I am pretty well versed on how genetics isn't the equivalent of fate. If you can speak knowledgeably in the subject, I wouldn't mind discussing how much of a thing genetics is. If not, let's not pretend that the phrase "[this complex scientific concept] is a thing" is a cogent point.
Then you know that a physical man has differences that will pummel a woman every time, no matter what the sport is. How is that fair?
You'll have to define "physical man." In my experience, the phenotypes of male humans vary significantly, as do the phenotypes of female humans. There's a significant amount of overlap driven by genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors. And, no. In many sports, feminine traits provide an advantage over masculine traits. Also, life's not fair and sports are entertainment.
This thread is totally off topic, but I wanted to offer my two cents since we're already here.
I try to understand everyone's perspective, but this is the issue I find most difficult. Biological men and women are different. This is based on science. This is something we all inherently know and does not require "evidence." Yes, there is overlap, but not when it comes to elite-level competition. There is a reason we only see biological men competing in women's sports and not the other way around.
The female desire to be tolerant and respectful has led us to be silent regarding biological men's encroachment into women's spaces. There should be spaces reserved for biological women. I cannot believe this is a controversial opinion. We've been told to use language like chestfeeding, bonus hole, and female penis to protect the feelings of men under the guise of inclusivity. Women have been made uncomfortable time and again to literally protect biological men. Women have paid the entire price of this issue with lost opportunity, safety, and dignity.
What do you believe should be protected as women's spaces? If there are women's spaces, there also needs to be men's spaces. What do you think those should be? I might agree that there should be protected spaces, but it is inherently untrue that you can apply a blanket statement that biological men and biological women are different because there is no actual scientific basis for such a black and white claim. Which box do we put humans with an XXY genotype or an XYY genotype? What about a single X chromosome? What about people born with an XY genotype and female genitalia, or XX genotype and born with male genitalia? Or people born with mosaicism (some cells are XY, some cells are XX)? How about people with gonadal dysgenesis?Statistically speaking, about 1 in 60 babies are born with genitalia that don't fully match their chromosomal sex. Do they get left out of gender specific safe spaces because biology is less discerning than your opinion? How about we just be decent to each other and punish only those that violate the safety and autonomy of others? If we need to separate everyone on the basis of inherent physical attributes, at least in sports, let's do that. But let's not base it on inaccurate understanding of how genetics works. Genetics is a code with volume buttons not a demand with on/off switches. Also, the claim that only "males" are trying to participate in female sports, not the other way around, is unfounded. Given that we're not genetically testing all humans, and many people never know that their chromosomes don't match their assigned-at-birth gender, we have no idea how many "genetic females" are competing in male sports. Look up de la Chappelle syndrome - it's rarely diagnosed before fertility issues pop up, yet 1 in 20000 boy babies are actually genetically female. 51% of babies born in the US are identified as male. That means that, of the 3.6 million babies born in 2023, around 100 of them had XX chromosomes. The male population in the US is about 165 million. There are probably more than 8000 men in the US living normal "biological male" lives who are chromosomally female due to de la Chappelle syndrome alone, not to mention the other hidden gender anomalies out there. When you find all of them and confirm that they're not trying to compete in "female" sports, I'll concede the point.
There is no evidence that biological men and biological woman are different? I think everyone really just needs to stop reading anything you say because clearly you are living somewhere else.
Simple question then -- do you believe in domestic violence? Why are so many women and children victims of domestic violence? If there is no difference why can't they simply just fight off their attackers? Or is that just an imaginary problem now?
This is what we call a red herring fallacy.
It is not true that trans men do not compete in sports. I invite you to take a look at Schuyler Bailar's swimming career on the Harvard team where he ranked third fastest after having transitioned, as one point of reference. He also has an excellent book called He/She/They that gets further into this topic.
Also, I follow the trans community fairly closely and see basically no one using the terms chestfeeding, bonus hole, or female penis. So... I don't know where you're pulling those from. Regardless, as a woman, I feel absolutely no loss in sharing protected spaces with trans women who are far more discriminated against than I have ever been in my life. They deserve our protection, not our anger.
They deserve to be treated with respect. That doesn't grant biological men the right to enter female spaces. You may feel no loss, but what about the millions of women who do? Is your opinion more valid because you believe it to be more compassionate?
I know I'm not supposed to say that my opinion is more valid because it's based in compassion, but... I obviously believe that to be the case. Sports is unfair. At its very core, sports are designed to be unfair. The best competitors rise to the top and everyone else loses. We design subjective parameters, including gender, to make sports be "more fair," but that's all they are - subjective. I'd encourage you to investigate why you can't widen your space just the tiniest bit to include someone who meets every other subjective parameter already attached to the sport.
Should trans men then have to use women’s restrooms? I have met many trans men that are extremely masculine and I can promise you wouldn’t know they were assigned female at birth. And doesn’t this open the door for more predatory cis men to simply pretend to be trans men to attack women if that’s the fear? Trans women have been using women’s bathrooms for decades both because they should also feel safe, and they aren’t dangerous. Why put them in to a situation where they will feel in danger?
Let’s let men have all the things then. Why even start a female division of anything??? Who needs equal rights or a fair footing?
Gender does not have to be the only method for separating sports. Weight classes and skill levels are used in so many sports to create fair footing. The sports you referenced have qualification standards for their athletes (all of which trans athletes must meet to compete). Trans athletes usually don't win first place.
Genetics do matter. A “trans woman” has an increased lung capacity, larger heart, higher muscle mass among other factors that must not be ignored. These don’t change by merely reidentification.
Michael Phelps had all those factors and was praised for it. We love genetic anomalies in athletics.
And he wasn’t trying to compete as a woman either.
No, he competed in the field under the sports’ set qualifications standards and completely squashed the competition. We all (rightly) praise him for that. If trans people qualify for their sport based on the sports’ qualifications standards, then it shouldn’t matter who wins and what biological anomalies they might have.
What study has shown that? Please cite your sources.
As far as Michael Phelps, you could argue he was born that way, sports figures today say they’re women and we automatically accept it?
Why wouldn’t we? If they meet the sports’ qualifications to compete, I do not care how they identify.
The women’s movement just died
The women's movement is rather feeble if it is built solely on having a sports category to ourselves.
The good news is the women's movement that is built on women being recognized as fully autonomous people is still alive, (mostly) well, and thriving.
The girls that work hard to compete worldwide should be allowed their shot fairly, not have it stolen by someone with a penis. Period.
And who determines who has a penis? Shall we put someone in charge of inspecting genitals in every school, every competition? Shall girls and women submit to genital inspections just before each competition, or is once a year enough? Girls and women have been policed for generations for being too good in sports. Caster Semanya, Iman Khelif, and so many other women have been derided or even disqualified because they were "too good" to compete in women's sports. There is no equivalence in men's sports. Frankly, it's bullshit. The girls that work hard better work hard enough to win. Period.
Females don’t stand a chance against a biological man, why have women’s sports then? Why have anything that favors women? It’s a man’s world right? (Sarcasm)
Gosh, I genuinely don't understand how the Right-wing media has somehow convinced millions of people that there are scores of trans women just waiting to push women off their sports pedestals. It's simply not the case. Even the loudest objector, Riley Gaines, TIED with a trans woman for FIFTH place. If trans women were such a threat to sports, we'd see the actual evidence of that in all sports across all categories. We don't because the threat doesn't exist. Women's spaces are safe and sound. But you're right, it is a man's world where they continue to enjoy their higher pay, more visibility, etc. while we squabble with each other about who is woman enough.
There haven’t been enough cases to study. Just wait. More will come as the door is wide open.
And yes, women are precious and should be treated well.
Here, the term "precious" refers to "overly sensitive" or "overly delicate." It's derogatory, not complimentary. The point is that when did women become so weak and helpless that we can't handle competition. When we step into a boxing ring, shouldn't we expect to get punched? That's the point of the sport. As a woman, I'm fine with competing with men. I'm better at a lot of things that many men aren't, and vice versa. Even in "traditionally masculine" areas. Most women are fine with competing with men. And we don't need anyone to protect us. I literally don't have a fight in the ring for women's boxing. But I do recall that Angela Carini, the woman that got beat in the match that set of the rumors that Khelif was transgender (she's not), made it clear that she didn't think that her "defenders" had a fight in the ring, either. Carini doesn't need your protection, so why do you insist on it?
There are lawsuits handling it so I’ll let them argue.
Sure. But recall that you brought it up. If you don't want to discuss the facts, then I recommend you don't open the door to the conversation. The long and short of it is that women boxers get punched because that's what the sport is, and there's absolutely no proof that men are boxing against women in the Olympics. Rumor and innuendo are not a reasonable basis for opinion and debate.
I have discussed it at length lol. Just say goodbye to athletes like Serena Williams, Oksana, Ramli Ali, Yusra Mardini, Katie Ledecky ….
These women won’t win again in your world https://businesswomen.com/blog/famous-female-olympians/
I'll be honest. Even if I believed that this was likely to happen, I really don't care. In no timeline will I ever believe that sports should be the reason we trade democracy for fascism. Hell, I don't even believe sports is a good reason to subscribe to cable television, let alone an excuse to take away human rights. In fact, I feel pretty strongly that there is nothing important enough to even think about treating our beautiful country and its morals and Constitution as disposable. I will not accept what happened on January 6, 2021 as ok, let alone believe that violent criminals complicit in trying to overthrow the peaceful transition of power is anything other than treason (whether it meets the legal definition or not). Those accepting a pardon is an acceptance of guilt to insurrection. And the very act of pardoning them is, in my mind, aid and comfort to an enemy to the United States.
Lol about sports, not my cup of tea either tbh, although I do believe in fairness. But who is to say what is fair and what isn’t? Is it all opinion, no black and white areas, only gray? As for J6, many more innocent were imprisoned unfairly than not, some should be punished (and Trump did state they have all served time now so what is enough punishment?). Look up Sharyl Atkisson’s Substack where she wrote an article complete with facts backing her up, about people planted in the crowds to incite others, the question about did Nancy Pelosi refuse to send national guard (her daughter says she refused), … it may not change your mind but maybe you’ll see more of what I see and show me grace. I posted the link in the comments here too, further down.
As for fascism, I have faith in our country’s rules that we won’t allow that to happen, no matter who is in charge. I do believe Biden was worse than Trump so I hold on to hope as I try to be more active in issues. I do thank you for the conversation.
People are way overly concerned about trans people. According to USA Facts, approximately 1.14% of the nation's adult population, or 3 million Americans, identify as transgender. They are not going to take over the world and they are not going to hurt anyone. These sports cases are so rare but they get all blown up, just to be made an example of. They are just people wanting to live their lives like the rest of us get to. As Rachel has explained, gender and sexuality are a continuum. It's religion and dogma in our culture that has made us think otherwise.
It's about objective truth.
The only time I care is when it’s so blatantly bad, live your life but when you play fair you end up at the bottom so you switch teams to win. Then I object.
When has this happened to you, where a transgender person caused you to end up at the bottom? It's happened to me before, though not in sports, but it was just good old fashioned sexism. Let's maybe deal with the inherent sexism of the rules and laws that we already have than tackle the 3 instances in 8.2 billion that it allegedly happens in a world where the least of our worries is whether a game is fair.
Did you address the sexism Rachel, or let it slide? If I worked my entire life to win something and lose it to someone who wouldn’t have been able to just a year or two before, then yeah, I would question it.
I'm sorry to get sarcastic here, but yeah. I waved my anti discrimination wand and it was totally fixed. But I've never had to use my wand to prevent a transgender person from ruining my day, despite knowing several, because systemic transgenderism is vanishingly rare. Instead, I do what I can at the ballot box to deal with common sexism, and I think about systemic transgenderism after I worry about how unfair it is that unicorns don't need wands because they're genetically magic and I'm not.
Let’s not forget that men and women were separated during tournaments due to women’s advancement in competition. Women were showing that they could beat a man, and therefore the men organized a separate category for women. Like bathroom bills, these gender-based concerns aren’t about protecting women at all.
If anything they’re putting cis women at risk as well. What happens when a cis woman is accused of being trans in a public bathroom? What sort of trauma will she be subjected to? Or what about trans women who have undergone bottom surgery? Which bathroom are they supposed to safely use?