Thread by @delaneykingrox

Martina Navratilova doesn't seem to grasp what HRT actually does to the human body. The science is fascinating.

But the main flaw in her very flawed statement is that a transgender woman after a couple of years on HRT has no advantage over a cisgender woman.

Any muscular advantage from steroidal hormones is completely lost.

Just ask any trans girl who tries to undo that pickle jar she did up before starting hrt.

The muscle mass you lose is amazing. You can't bulk easily, your metabolism changes, you are equal risk of osteoporosis.

Several years in, all your tissues have replaced themselves using the DNA sequences any cis woman uses. No androgens, no androgen activated genes in play.

Now, for those that just joined me, I am intersex. My body was kind of a pick 'n' mix of secondary sex characteristics. One of which was super low testosterone count. Even then, I was able to out muscle most guys in my class. We build em tough in my family.

So I didn't need huge doses of testosterone blockers to get where I am now. Just estrogen. I take the pill... only three times a day or my bones will start to weaken.

I had a head start on most folk transitioning thattaway.

Even then, the change in my body was huuuuge.

I packed my things into storage by myself. Huge boxes of books. No problem.

Farm girl me.

But after a few years of HRT?
Couldn't move them at all. Had to unpack and repack into smaller boxes.

What people don't grasp is how HRT changes gene expression.

Transgender women after HRT are not cosmetically changed men- they are expressing 'female' secondary sex characteristics because that's the genes their tissues are expressing.

Think of it like this. You buy a box of lego. Inside, you have the instructions to make a tank or a motorbike.
Same kit, two very different ways to build it. Two sets of instructions.

Without androgens, your body uses one set of instructions (your DNA). Add androgens, these lock to the androgen receptors of your cells, travel into the nucleus and turn on the OTHER instructions.

Martina thinks it unfair to have a... using the lego metaphor... tank fighting a motorbike. Which would be true.
However, she isn't seeing that the tank has been broken down into bricks and rebuilt into a motorbike.

Motorbike lego vs motorbike lego IS fair.

Same kit.

So let's just cut through the bullshit here. No man would sterilize himself, shrink his dick, grow boobs to win women's awards.
How do I know this? Well, apart from having met men... gender dysphoria.

Want to know the story of the effects a cisgender man given hrt?

Read about Alan Turing.

But... fair warning, it isn't pretty.

As for reversing the procedure to "have babies" after "winning millions"... yeaaah, not likely

It is pretty much a one way trip. Freezing sperm is the only sure way to conceive after the length of HRT you need to play in pro sports.

Anyway. As usual...

*points to science*

Also pointing to...

ko-fi.com/dellak

Because this gal needs coffee AND estrogen to upkeep her writing.

Fact you, Martina.

Here are the Olympic guidelines with scientists attached. Have fun. Be kind. Learn.

olympic.org/Documents/Comm…

And don't bother TERFing this. I just block. No point wasting good science on the ignorant

Androgen receptors explained

I strongly suggest if you think your personal opinion tops the research money THE OLYMPIC COMMITTEE sank into solving this, you may need help.

Like... seriously, go book someone.

Okay, my gay ass is going to bed.

Be kind people.