I've lost an hour on twitter looking at the debate around the IOC decisions in sport and how that impacts on female athletes. Laurel Hubbard is at the centre of these discussions, and the way Laurel is described is often quite far from hashtag-be-kind. I expect this is the cause of some stress for Laurel.
I'm thinking of the kids in my 14 year old's class - 3 female born children who are all either autistic or care experienced, who are causing a lot of drama in the school with demands to control other kid's speech. One of these kids was upset with my son because although he used the other kids' preferred pronouns and latest new name, the other kid didn't believe that my son believed they are actually a boy. And so my son was told off for not believing that a kid he has known since nursery has magically changed sex.
I think honesty is kind - it might be hard to hear, and it might cause distress which needs managed, but it is better than telling untruths. The worst scene scenario is that someone lands up being the poster-trans for the Olympics and at the centre of a frank and sometimes personal debate.
Laurel is now a story that is getting more attention than the effect of the pandemic on the Olympics. By saying "yes" to Laurel the IOC have created a horrible situation for Laurel.
When did we stop thinking that saying "no" can be protective? Are we, as a society, doing harm to people by agreeing to pretend that humans can change sex?