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Original poster

Transman on steroids wins girls wrestling competition

41 replies

roseshippy · 19/02/2017 16:08

Mack Beggs is biologically female, and is taking steroids, which dramatically increase muscle/power/strength, in order to 'transition' to a male.

According to Texas school sports laws, she must compete according to the gender on her birth certificate - female.

Steroids are banned except if for a 'valid medical purpose'. In this case the medical purpose is to become a man.

So the rules are apparently quite rational, but whereas one is unambiguous - you compete as the gender on your birth certificate, the other - the 'medical exemption' is not.

sportsday.dallasnews.com/high-school/high-schools/2017/02/18/transgender-teen-wins-regional-wrestling-title-despite-attempt-ban-competing

OP posts:
Original poster
roseshippy · 19/02/2017 20:17

Sharapova's issue was that she had been taking the drug (not a steroid, and not 100% proven to be performance enhancing) - perfectly legally - for years, but when a notice was put out that it was to be banned, the relevant members of her team didn't take notice and either

(a) seek a therapeutic use exemption or
(b) stop taking it.

OP posts:
Original poster
roseshippy · 19/02/2017 20:14

uh, why do you think medical exemptions are connected to the religious right?

Russian hackers released data showing that top international athletes such as Bradley Wiggins had taken steroids for 'medical reasons' (in his case, a supposed pollen allergy). This information was secret until leaked. www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/oct/18/chris-froome-questions-remain-bradley-wiggins-tues-use-cycling Note that any advantage gained was nothing like as massive as here, although in the context of elite sport, potentially crucial.

My reading is

(a) Texas bans transgender athletes from competing as their new gender - because they are conservative
(b) Texas allows medical exemptions for banned substances because that's standard across all sport
(c) A doctor - who is anything but conservative - says that testosterone is needed by this girl because of gender dysphoria

And there's nothing that can be done, because the drug is deemed 'medically necessary'.

The issue is you can write a political decision - such as transgender athletes to compete as their birth sex - but you can't overrule (possibly dubious) medical opinion.

OP posts:
HelenDenver · 19/02/2017 20:07

Hmm.

Appreciate sharapova didn't seek permission, but she did have a history of taking this medicine for health reasons and there is no indication in the article that she would have avoided the ban by submitting medical need evidence.

m.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/37549424

Mide7 · 19/02/2017 19:59

Pretty sure its across all sports/ levels but being a professional athlete the evidence needed is greater.

HelenDenver · 19/02/2017 19:54

Thanks, Boom, I didn't think it could be a universal rule!

BoomBoomsCousin · 19/02/2017 19:47

That's not the way to get around the steroid ban for competitive sport, because competitive sport does not have those rules. These are the rules for Texas schools (not competitive sport) because the Texas Board of Education is heavily populated by the religious right who attempt to get conservative religious ideology set into school policy.

HelenDenver · 19/02/2017 19:46

"You can take any banned substance as long as you have a medical exemption form"

Is that true in eg the Olympics, grand slam etc? I thought various sports stars couldn't take the recommended treatments because of restrictions?

Mide7 · 19/02/2017 19:25

A lot of anabolic Steroids are synthetic testosterone

Prawnofthepatriarchy · 19/02/2017 19:20

Testosterone is a steroid.

Gallavich · 19/02/2017 19:15

Is testosterone a steroid? Confused

Gallavich · 19/02/2017 19:13

Steroids to transition? I thought testosterone was bad enough. This is madness. She doesn't become a man by using steroids, she becomes a woman with steroid induced muscle development Hmm

Mide7 · 19/02/2017 19:12

You can take any banned substance as long as you have a medical exemption form

VestalVirgin · 19/02/2017 19:12

Yeah. It would not surprise me if some more athletes declared transgender identity. Handy excuse.

Why is there an exception for "valid medical purpose"? This should be narrowed down so it can only be used if that medical purpose means there's no advantage due to it. (If that is ever possible.)

RufusTheSpartacusReindeer · 19/02/2017 19:11

Oh for fucks sake

MercyMyJewels · 19/02/2017 18:39

That's the way to get around the steroid rules for competitive sport then

Datun · 19/02/2017 18:17

Yet more exploitation of a crazy law.