‘First they justified trans women competing with women because they had “always” felt they were female. Then they say the “always” female trans athlete might “be” male for certain sports or at different times.’
‘Growing up male likely confers physical, hormonal, social and economic factors that contribute to this performance gap, but we cannot say that it is specifically due to testosterone in a way
that is significant and predictable.’
That whole paragraph is remarkable.
‘We don’t know why males are better at sports. But they are. Probably not testosterone though. And T suppression won’t remove that advantage anyway. So they shouldn’t have to reduce T to compete in the female category.
Sorry, women.’
I think perhaps one of the most infuriating absences in this debate is the complete lack of acknowledgment that female sports categories are *themselves an inclusion measure* for females.
All this analysis of prioritising inclusivity and offering opportunities to disadvantaged people never seems to be applied to the people for whom the category exists.
It’s like they’ve forgotten.
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Let’s imagine a ball-making factory, the squishy, brightly-coloured kind of ball you kick around on the beach with a child (preferably one you own, not one stolen).
In that factory are two production lines. The first line paints balls red and the second line paints balls blue. Both machines are fed by boring beige balls.
They performed a literature search of transwomen in sport and concluded that:
“Currently, there is no direct or consistent research suggesting transgender female individuals (or male individuals) have an athletic advantage at any stage of their transition.”
This conclusion is not supported by the data they analyse.
First, the review intended to examine sports policies and participation, and consists largely of qualitative/survey data examining the experiences of trans people in sport.
Let’s say I am matched in an boxing competition with a male of the same height, strength and speed. Our ‘output’ is considered equivalent, and thus the competition is deemed fair.
It is not fair.
Male physical output is a composite of two factors - male puberty and natural talent. Female physical output lacks the contribution of male puberty.
Males who suppress T and do no exercise lose about 5% mass/strength in the first couple of years.
Males who suppress T and exercise mitigate loss and often make significant gains in mass/strength.
Small males are stronger than far larger females.
@PeterTatchell Among elite rugby players at all postions, the slowest males are only a little slower than the fastest females. The weakest males are stronger than the strongest females.
@PeterTatchell If rugby is a game for players of all sizes, strengths and speeds, do you think that the mixed England lineup would contain about 50% females?
No you don’t.
Nobody does.
Because while rugby might accommodate different physicalities, it appears to be limited *within sex*.