Times article - Emily Bridges not a threat to women's sport

An Olympic Gold cyclist, who used to admire cyclist Robert Millar, begs to differ.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10680099/Olympic-gold-medallist-NICOLE-COOKE-hero-trans-woman-bravely-speaks-out.html

"Trans athletes must compete in a separate category – or countless young women's sporting dreams will be smashed"

No, I’m sorry, but the word womanhood isn’t up for grabs either. Hands off. I’ve been musing a lot on the ‘making her way into womanhood’ phrasing. It really is men shoving us aside to get into where they want to be - finding a ‘way in’. To something that’s not theirs in the first place. Talk about violation.

That's interesting, Melroses - not the programme, I mean.

It's beginning to look more like an editorial decision on a form of words to be used at The Times.

I didn't listen.

The sporting criteria cited in this article (and used in more sports than just cycling) is 5 nanomoles per liter for trans women.

It is interesting they chose to express the measurement this way - it is a nice, small number. Dare I say inoffensive? But medical science usually expresses it as nanograms per deciliter.

For reference, a man with less than 300 nanograms per deciliter is considered to have low testosterone.

The normal range of testosterone for women is 8-60 nanograms per deciliter (although I have also seen a range of 15-70 quoted).

What is 5 nanomoles per liter, you may ask. Just so we can compare like with like.

5 nanomoles per liter is 144 nanograms per deciliter.

Yup, the acceptable level of testosterone for a transgender person competing in the female category is more than double what is considered normal for an adult human female.

Then that stopped too. Massively frustrating. I think they’ve done something to the settings.

However, I do have one of those ‘read 2 free articles a week if you sign up' Times accounts, and I’ve discovered that the comments reappear if I sign in….in other words it seems possible not to be a paid subscriber, but perhaps see at least some comments if you choose your free articles carefully? It might even work if you sign in then link via a share token despite having used up your 2 free article ration - haven’t tried that yet….

I wonder if TRAs think Women's sport is supposed to be like a 5 year olds sports day, where everyone gets a gold star so nobody feels sad.

Well it isn’t, we don’t care if you’re sad because you can’t compete with women, piss off back to your own category.

According to the writer of this article it's a case of making 'her' way into womanhood through a different path. How is that possible? I mean you couldn't make your way into something if you claim to have the status or attribute of that something already. But even without that particular conundrum, womanhood is no more available than being a woman is.

Yesterday Lucy Bannerman also used the word 'womanhood', in reference to, I think, James Morris / Jan Morris.

Could this be a new formulation that The Times has agreed upon in an attempt to avoid stating that a trans person is a woman (and the reaction that would follow such a statement), in the mistaken belief that 'womanhood' is less stark and more negotiable?

I wonder when Emily's dysphoria kicked in - before or after Emily realised that they were a good cyclist but not a great one

It was after Emily was dropped from the GB cycling team.

I was informed that I was no longer going to be part of the Great Britain Cycling Team. The reason I was given was that I no longer had the potential required to remain on the programme. There had been no indication prior to this that I was going to be dropped.

www.skysports.com/more-sports/cycling/news/15264/12101251/emily-bridges-coming-out-as-trans-in-cycling-is-a-crucial-step-on-my-journey

Emily said: "Originally I was thinking 'try and get to Paris and then see how I'm feeling and transition after then.'"

www.itv.com/news/wales/2020-10-11/welsh-cyclist-emily-bridges-opens-up-about-coming-out-as-transgender-to-inspire-others

I can't seem to see the comments, can anyone direct me? Is it because I'm on my phone?

Emily isn’t a threat to women’s sport and she isn’t cheating anyone out of their place. She’s making her way into womanhood through a different path, which is incredibly difficult

Snorted my tea at this. Different path my ovaries.

That article! I want to laugh but then I just get so angry. Glad they reminded everyone who couldn't use their eyes that the writer is male.

Emily can continue to enjoy the thrills and excitement of racing in the men's team. I mean I'm sure that Emily stands no chance of being in the Olympic team when competing against men but that's life.

I wonder when Emily's dysphoria kicked in - before or after Emily realised that they were a good cyclist but not a great one

I too would like to compete at elite level.
Sadly I can't because I'm seriously unfit.

The author is massively pushing their own agenda - ridiculous.

More than 150 comments now - still flooding in - and all but one I’ve seen are overwhelmingly critical of the article.
I now see why the Times commissioned Pippa York to write this nonsense, it’s a genius move.

I make no comment on this comment from the article:
"Simple solution, have three categories; male, female, stunning & brave."

I don’t normally comment

What a crappy load of tosh

Thanks @Liveliferun - they do make me feel better!

This is a young woman who enjoys the thrills and endures the spills of bike racing, who embraces the challenges and deals with the setbacks. She’s shown remarkable dignity throughout this period. If she’s competitive it’ll be because she’s talented, not because of her chromosomes, and if she does reach the level required to compete with the Laura Kennys of this world she might be part of a British Cycling team that wins things. Then how will the detractors react, because Emily Bridges would be representing Great Britain, representing them? Modern Britain.

It's interesting that York seems to think we'll all be super grateful that men in women's sport means winning medals over other countries as part of Team GB.

I'd rather Team GB lose than take a medal away from a female athlete of another nationality via cheating with a man on the team. I suspect most people who aren't male cyclists with a gender identity would agree.

I don’t mind the Times providing balance at all, because the TRAs always manage to sound batshit. The evidence of our own eyes defeats their arguments in seconds!