Thread by @QuinceMountain

I’m being cheeky/sarcastic here but I also think the REAL story of these “protect our kids” transphobic bills betrays a deep deep American problem: this idea that activity is professionalized, even for kids, and increasingly what we value is winning, not participation.

https://twitter.com/quincemountain/status/1366495593263030273

That in itself is threatening to Americans bc it marginalizes those who “aren’t competitive” in whatever endeavor. But realistically, 99% of kids aren’t going to grow up and be pro in their sport. We justify sports funding on the (true!) idea that participation is salubrious...

So let’s as adults put our money where our mouth is & view this #trans sports “problem” as needing a real solution: kids need to play & compete & grow & practice with their peer groups. THAT is what’s important. Excluding trans girls extricates both cis & trans kids from peers.

Let’s back up for a second and look at what this professionalizing mentality does to ALL OF US. It cuts people off from doing things that they “aren’t good at” or can’t/don’t make a living at...

Do you know how many (adult) athletes I meet who disclaim themselves as soon as I ask them about what they do (their sport)? Like, “I’m not very good, but...” “I’m not a real runner, but...”.

DUDE I just asked you what your running year was like, not yr position on stats sheet!

I used to shoot pool often and I loved it and would ask friends to play if we were out somewhere. I’d say “Wanna shoot a game?” And they’d say “I’m not good at pool” and that was literally supposed to be a clear “No, of course not” but it always struck me as a non sequitur...

There’s always someone better than you are at whatever endeavor. Unless you’re truly the #1 person in the world at your sport/game/career.

And in that case, there are people better than you are at other things.

So are you just supposed to not do things bc you’re not #1?

I know @DetroitLionsPro fans will understand this.

Sorry.

For real tho, I meet so many people afraid to try things, afraid to play things, afraid to enter wilderness or be out in the cold...

The more we stay in our comfort zones, the smaller our comfort zones get.

Education is supposed to support kids to grow and lead flourishing lives.

Artists/writers/actors understand this bc it’s always been hard to make a living as an artist. The “starving artist” is real. But we see the inherent value in doing what we do—how many of us say it’s saved our lives, given us community, helped us understand ourselves/others...

School arts funding & school sports funding are so often brought up at odds with one another—

But what an obvious coalition!

Sports & arts are both INHERENTLY EDIFYING practices that almost no kids will grow up & make a living from.

Only a scarcity mentality puts them at odds.

And the kids who thrive in sports (“jocks”) and the kids who thrive primarily in arts (“theater kids” “weirdos” “misfits”) — whether or not they otherwise “do well” academically, they often find their most important communities and are celebrated in arts/sports.

Sports and arts are two sets of endeavors that will add value throughout life. People love to play, to make, and, yes, even to be fans of others doing so. Having participated at any level builds appreciation for the sport/art itself.

But in US public schools these areas—sports & arts—are somehow seen as the first places school districts should look when they need to cut funding.

So they’re placed at odds over scarce resources

& arts advocates grumble, “you can find money to fund the basketball team but...”

Well, if you have a kid who struggles academically but finds community and meaning and a home on their team, you’ll surely see the value in them having that team! Whatever keeps your kid motivated and doing something constructive is great! Being part of a team is a life skill!

And those are the very arguments parents use when any sports are on the chopping block in their school district...

Youth sports advocates don’t say, “but one kid will grow up and go to the Olympics in volleyball and make it all worth the investment for our district.”

They say (rightly):

Teamwork!
Practice!
Punctuality!
Learning to win and lose!
Physical development!
Camaraderie!

And you know what? Trans and non-binary kids deserve to get to learn teamwork and punctuality and perseverance, too!

And cis kids deserve to get to be part of teams with peers with different bodies/hormones/backgrounds.

All kids are going to need this to thrive as adults.

Excluding trans kids from sports deprives ALL KIDS.

If your cis daughter doesn’t win the badminton championship bc a trans girl beat her in the final game...

I’m not sorry because actually I somehow don’t think it’s THE TRANS GIRL that is hindering your daughter’s future.

Focus on your own kid, dude. They need it.

It’s super ableist for even begin to pretend that there aren’t already all kinds of physical advantages certain kids have and certain kids don’t have in sports.

Why do we somehow only want to look at those potential advantages in trans kids?

Public schools should be about providing opportunities for all kids to learn and grow and thrive. And they may perform better in one context than in another and that is okay.

Celebrate who kids actually ARE.

& if your daughter didn’t happen to be born trans so for that reason she loses the state badminton championship to a trans girl and doesn’t get the prestigious scholarship and thus doesn’t get the career of her dreams...

I’m sorry you weren’t lucky enough to have a trans kid.

.@JanelBrandtjen I believe athletics are inherently GOOD — win, loss, or tie. I’ve entered plenty of races I know I won’t win, and I’ve grown from all of them.

This isn’t about protecting a few champions; it’s about making sure all kids can access sports with their peers.

Rep Brandtjen, I know many of your cohort in the WI statehouse proudly display marathon finisher plaques and ribbons in their offices. I’m thinking of many colleagues on the republican side. Do you ask why they wasted their time running a race if they didn’t win? Do you think it?