To think that this is the end of women's athletics?

[fidel1ne]

And women's international sport generally?

Transgender competitors will be allowed to compete as the gender of their choosing pre-operatively and after just one year of hormone treatment.

This will mean that the current records in every Olympic sport will fall, and future records will be put far beyond the reach of born women.

If this trickles down to club/school level too, it will destroy grassroot women's athletics.

Women, our achievements are going to be wiped into invisibility. Sport is only going to be the start.

Don't you ever sleep fidel?

I've been looking around to see if there are other people speaking out against this but it's all surprisingly quiet out there. There was an article in the daily mail. I looked at the comments and the top rated ones were saying what we're saying on here which surprised me.

I think most people think transwomen are sexually attracted to men so not interested in women

Do they?

Yes, I totally agree that most people see trans people as gay and transphobia as the same as homophobia. And in most cases I believe genuine transphobia (as opposed to, say, women's rights) is homophobia at base.

Not much MrsG Even less when I'm outraged

Janice Turner has spoken out about the unintended consequences for women with transgender rights before.

Maryz I read that link about the Iranian women's football team. I thought initially you were just saying they looked like men, but no they are ACTUAL men. So it's already started. Fuming.

Mathew Wright, woohoo Mathew - come and have a gander

Who might get behind this?
Germaine Greer?
Janice Turner?
A Mighty Girl?

Most people really don't have that much knowledge about it, as it doesn't affect them day to day. So they are happy to accept that trans people are a more marginalised group than other disadvantaged groups and therefore happy to accept that if Tara Hudson says she is a woman then she is a woman.

Have emailed this thread to Petrie Hosken and Beverley Turner at LBC as a potential talking topic.

I am so angry about this. Russia, China, Iran etc will have no qualms about getting their 'not quite making the grade' male shelters to take hormone treatment to complete in female classes.

How HOW can any one think it's a good idea for anyone other than the tiny percentage of 'genuine' m2f who already compete in professional sport?

I'm really feeling for the sportswomen who will be robbed of recognition due to this, and above all for those in sports like boxing who will be put in danger by it.

Sadly I think there is going to be a huge market for watching men beat up women in the ring. What a time this is for a woman-hater to be alive!

Yes, I can't imagine how I would be feeling if I was an athlete who was hoping to compete in the Olympics next time. My whole future wiped out and no saying anything about it because it will be dismissed as transphobia and I will be publicly shamed.

This is why I feel I need to be counted. Before I have avoided talking about it except to people who know I am not a naturally phobic kind of person. But I have to be a bit braver now.

Adding my name to the "count me in"-ness

In fact, i'm gonna do my bit now by commenting on something about it on facebook in MY REAL NAME.

I think you are right about semanye, Maryz.

I would not wish hormone treatment on anyone if they didn't want it, but it would be awesome if a high profile male Olympian did go down this route after retirement for the minimum. Time , didn't change his name or pronoun and beat the field comprehensively. Usain Bolt (Mr) - world record 9.58s; Usain Bolt (Ms) world record 9.98s, smashing Flo Jo's 1988 10.49s record...

.... Surely then the IAAF would say "hmmm, maybe testosterone level is a bit simplistic"...

Not only an ideal time for a woman-hater to be alive Countess - it's an ideal time for women -hating men to drive through law changes which make it easier for them to rape and beat women.

Presumably the IOC must have talked about this and be able to see the potential ramifications of the policy, ie men dominating women's sports? They obviously just don't give a shit

In fact, i'm gonna do my bit now by commenting on something about it on facebook in MY REAL NAME.

I'm working up to it. Isn't it sad when women giving an opinion is a brave thing!

When I was a lot more ignorant about transpeople, I assumed that transwomen would be looking for men as sexual partners as the majority of women are attracted to men. I don't think that's an unusual view. Trans issues really aren't on the majority of people's radar. Mumsnet is an anomaly when it comes to this.

The IAAF don't just use testosterone levels in their gender verification tests. They look at a whole bunch of stuff, including anatomy, chromosomes (and not just XX or XY) and other endocrinology. Caster Semenya passed the tests and still competes, to be clear.

Those tests would presumably be obsolete if this is accepted.

Thanks, TFM.

fid

What about also asking for support from some of the gender critical trans women bloggers

We also (sadly) need the support of men...otherwise there is a danger of women who think this is unfair looking like they are throwing their toys out of the pram

We need "people" without a horse in the race (so to speak) to agree that it is totally unfair, unsporting and could mean the end of women's sports

(Again i am hoping that that is a very pessimistic view)