Tom Daley interview

What happened at 'The Independent' to make them come down so hard on one side of the fence?

What about all the other kids that don't get to compete in sport?

Kids in poverty.
Kids whose parents are run ragged trying to pay the bills.
Kids with disabilities
Kids with disabled parents.
Kids with siblings with additional needs
Kids who don't live near pools
Kids without transport.
Kids whose parents just can't get them to a swimming pool at 5am
Girls who struggle with periods and tampons.
Girls whose families don't allow them to be with boy or men while in a swimming costumes.
Kids where sport just isn't encouraged and as a family they are just too unhealthy to compete.

Aren't there a lot more of them than boys who wish be girls?

Why do people like him always bring up the 'everyone should be able to enjoy sport' argument?
He's deliberately missing the point.

While he’s happy to speak up, he thinks it’s time we heard more from trans people in sport “because their voices are never heard”.

What about hearing from women who are demoted to 2nd place because a TW is in their category. I guess their opinions aren't as important...?

It wasn't all that long ago that women couldn't compete in marathons, the women's football World Cup and England team have done a great job (but still a way to go) to make womens football mainstream and available to girls who want to play, the first Saudi Arabian women took part in the Olympics in 2012 ....its not as if women don't already know what it's like to be disadvantaged from a sporting perspective, without allowing men to compete in their category too!!

Just because you knit doesn't mean you're a nice person, Tom. We see you and your deep-seated misogyny. Stop using women's bodies as birth givers and belittling women's sport.

Oh bore off Tom.

What does he mean by 'more equality'?

Fucking brat.

I’ve always been intrigued (?) by how much press Daley gave and gives to his late father in comparison to his never- heard -of -or -from mother. I suspect the psychoanalysts would have a field day with that one- gay, superiority conplex, mansplaining misogynist…
He’s completely self absorbed and has two talents: beingca grade A dick and being able to jump off a plank (for which he has a natural affinity, being one himself)
And Tom? For the record, you’re not that great at knitting; you just get attention for it because you don’t ever shut up about it, and you’re a bloke.

I wonder if his awareness that the clock is ticking on the day job is behind this vacuous virtue-signalling. He's positioning himself as a cosy national treasure who isn't afraid to speak out and tell everyone to #bekind. The friendly face of rainbow inclusion, available as a presenter and panel show guest.

If I were Tom, I'd be reading up on mermaids, Cass and Stonewall and looking for a slightly more future-proof set of mantras.

This …phobia nonsense is just a ploy by activists to stop debate. Disagreeing with Mr Daly does not make me homophobic it just makes me sensible

Stick to the day job, Tom

Yes, it is interesting how these people are unable to put themselves into the shoes of someone else and can only see the situation through the lens of their experience:

'all I know is its like the homophobia of the 80s and 90s' says a 50ish gay man, who experienced awful homophobia. But it's not like that at all.

'all I know is people should be allowed to be who they want to be and we should believe them' says the person who has no safeguarding renit

'all I know is that if I had been told I couldn't do sports......' says the person who was never told he couldn't do sports, was never compelled to share a changing room with anyone who made him feel uncomfortable.....

...... Hmmmm, it is as if they are unable to feel empathy. Isn't there a word for someone like that?

Completely agree @Creasedlinen

In addition, any criticism at the time (or now) is met with cries of homophobia and being shouted down - not dissimilar to how the trans activists behave actually!

@Creasedlinen absolutely! I was just about to say something similar … creepy as fuck.

Here's an archived copy: web.archive.org/web/20221015094656/www.independent.co.uk/life-style/tom-daley-interview-knitting-book-b2202849.html

@Creasedlinen Yes, the media have been appalling- not only do they not dare rock the boat, they get on board. same with schofield (for whom a 20 year age gap was apparently not enough) what about these poor boys? and evidently they were boys. makes me so angry. I do hope Tom grows up one day. He might even develop a respect for women and girls.

I think the journalist is GC but not allowed to rock the boat on a coffee table interview.

We don’t get into the question of fairness, here: the counter-argument runs that divers who were born biologically female would be at a clear competitive disadvantage.

Especially when the younger was only 17, had just lost his father and appears to have been targeted to be the voice for the partner's activism. The whole thing makes me shudder and I don't know why the press/TV keep enabling it.

I used to like him. Now I think he should just shut us as he is so disrespectful to woman

oh god- just googled his partner- 20 year age gap- not cool in any relationship, gay or straight- always something off with the older person. I actually feel a bit sorry for Tom in terms of his domestic life but can't bear to click on his interview as know I'll lose all sympathy. I guess he's what they call a useful idiot.

And I’m sorry…but that cardigan is fucking hideous.

Can't even bring myself to read it. He makes my skin crawl.