Poor Emily being banned from cycling again

From what I’ve read, iirc, Bridges only started identifying as a member of the opposite sex after Bridges’ sporting performance was too poor for the men’s elite levels that Bridges was aiming for. I think there may have been an accident / injury which led to poor performance and then being dropped, as cycling is so competitive.

It leads to a suspicion that being dropped from the men’s squad and then seeking transfer to the women’s competition were not unconnected.

Yeah. I read that.

Again, these medical treatments are these male people's choices. It is time to live life as an adult and understand that the world doesn't need to make sports a validating experience when female athletes are then disadvantaged. If these male people understood that other male people have to make similar decisions about treatment but don't get to compete in female sports categories, why the fuck should they?

So sad. Never mind.

Well, good luck to Emily. It'll take real balls to undertake such a legal challenge...

I would understand if Lynne Pinches mounted a case rather than the other way around. The governing body in this case seem to be acquiescing without an evidence base.

Yes Harriet Haynes said they were suing.

Blimey, in cycling kit I don’t think there’s any disguising that hip angle Emily!

I think there is a threatened court case from a transwoman in snooker or pool. The governing body said that they would fight it rather than roll over. Remains to be seen if they carry through the threat now the attempt to intimidate has failed.

Have you watched the interview?

Bridges believes that a male cyclist who identifies as a transwoman could be believed to be a female cyclist by everyone else, if that male cyclist did not disclose their transgender status or had not previously had a career as a male cyclist. That seems to be the basis on which Bridges is arguing that the open category is unsafe -because a hypothetical successfully incognito male cyclist could be outed as male rather than female.

No explanation of why that would be unsafe. No suggestion that doing something about whatever (or whoever) is making that unsafe should be the solution. No, the only acceptable solution is that Bridges gets to take prizes away from women. Except that Bridges claims that Bridges is doing it “for others” not for themself.

Oh please take it to court.

This male has nothing more than their wish to compete against females. Regardless of impact upon those females and their sport, regardless of anything except their own wishes and desires. The narcissism is quite spectacular.

Bridges has competed with and alongside men. I find this podium photograph to be unremarkable, iirc, it's from 2022 when the team had taken bronze in a competition.

I should think that if EB had felt unsafe in such activities, EB would have reported it then or now.

Victoria Hood thread about elite women in cycling:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/4880032-great-article-about-female-cycling

A ban is a ban. You can say you can compete in the open category, but we’re women – we should be able to race in the women’s category

No! Fuck off!

Oh dear......

I would love to see the argument in court where this group of male people successfully argued that their medical treatment requirements meant that they should then get access to another group's protected category.

What other male people who have to take performance lowering medication get to enter the female sports category? NONE.

So, therefore they are demanding special consideration.

Because of philosophical belief that they are something they are materially not.

Again, no court is going to grant this based on something that is impossible to prove. They are not going to open the gates to allow any person to just 'identify' into a protected category based on philosophical belief. McKinnon/Ivy was successful in persuading sporting bodies once. That has proven to be disasterous and the lesson has been learned.

Bring on this fucking court case!

Bridges expressed concerns about her safety if she were to compete alongside men

Irony alert!!

Feb 2023 "Three of the four elite transwomen athletes who were taking part in a research study funded by the IOC have dropped out of the programme.
The study, being led by Joanna Harper of the University of Loughborough, now has only one athlete, understood to be the cyclist Emily Bridges, whose sporting performance, strength and speed are being assessed over a period of time after transitioning and undergoing hormone therapy. The results will then be benchmarked against the performances of athletes who were born female.
“Four athletes had signed up to the longitudinal study and three have dropped out,” Harper confirmed to The Times."

wow, robust stuff

So wasn't there a Rugby player who was crowdsourcing for a legal challenge? A few months back? I know several 'GCs' had contributed to say "bring it on!". Has that fallen through?

It looks like it. Nancy Kelley tweeted approvingly at first, then Stonewall quietly dropped all mention of it. Guess they had a chat with a lawyer.

Bridges should just train harder. Though better than training is getting publicity because Bridges peaks people all the time.

Note the study Bridges refers to will be worthless everyone else in it quit by this time last year.
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/4733674-three-of-four-transwomen-athletes-drop-out-of-ioc-study

Feb 2023 "Three of the four elite transwomen athletes who were taking part in a research study funded by the IOC have dropped out of the programme.
The study, being led by Joanna Harper of the University of Loughborough, now has only one athlete, understood to be the cyclist Emily Bridges, whose sporting performance, strength and speed are being assessed over a period of time after transitioning and undergoing hormone therapy. The results will then be benchmarked against the performances of athletes who were born female.
“Four athletes had signed up to the longitudinal study and three have dropped out,” Harper confirmed to The Times."

I think it will be a useful court case if it happens, whatever the outcome, as it will add case law to the Equality Act. I don't know of any other legal challenges.

So wasn't there a Rugby player who was crowdsourcing for a legal challenge? A few months back? I know several 'GCs' had contributed to say "bring it on!". Has that fallen through?

To some extent, I understand that athletes like EB feel weaker and surmise it's the same as being female because that's their perception.

It's extraordinary how much people in general and particularly some men don't grasp that their perception is not the reality (in so many fields and dimensions).

This feels like the cycling equivalent of Dylan Mulvaney only in this case EB feels spinny and comparatively weak and perceives the LARPing is identical to the experience of women.

See also s19 of the Gender Recognition Act 2004 (assuming EB has a GRC)

19 Sport

(1)A body responsible for regulating the participation of persons as competitors in an event or events involving a gender-affected sport may, if subsection (2) is satisfied, prohibit or restrict the participation as competitors in the event or events of persons whose gender has become the acquired gender under this Act.

(2)This subsection is satisfied if the prohibition or restriction is necessary to secure—

(a)fair competition, or

(b)the safety of competitors,
at the event or events.

(3)“Sport” means a sport, game or other activity of a competitive nature.

(4)A sport is a gender-affected sport if the physical strength, stamina or physique of average persons of one gender would put them at a disadvantage to average persons of the other gender as competitors in events involving the sport.

(5)This section does not affect—

(a)section 44 of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (c. 65) (exception from Parts 2 to 4 of that Act for acts related to sport), or

(b)Article 45 of the Sex Discrimination (Northern Ireland) Order 1976 ( S.I. 1976/1042 (N.I. 15)) (corresponding provision for Northern Ireland). ]

Yes. I look forward to seeing the evidence that is provided for challenging either of those.

Because even 'safety' is an issue in cycling considering the shouldering tactics that we see. Oh... and of course there is the additional burden on female bodies to over push their bodies to beat male competitors. The very fact that this additional burden shortens their careers and makes there bodies more prone to injury should also be considered.

Absol-fucking-lutely I am looking at seeing just what Bridges legal team can produce for ANY justification for fairness or safety.

Maybe we should wave to cyclingmum as I am sure she will be reading our thread even though she flounced from MN....

Gosh... what can we say? We were very clear that males had this retained advantage... why didn't someone who spent time on MN tell this to their child? Oh... yes.... ideology. Well, finding out that philosophical theory is NOT material reality must be a bit of a very harsh lesson.

I think it will be a useful court case if it happens, whatever the outcome, as it will add case law to the Equality Act. I don't know of any other legal challenges.

(2)A person does not contravene section 29, 33, 34 or 35, so far as relating to gender reassignment, only by doing anything in relation to the participation of a transsexual person as a competitor in a gender-affected activity if it is necessary to do so to secure in relation to the activity—

(a)fair competition, or

(b)the safety of competitors.