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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Transgender students may not have to reveal birth sex to play sports

335 replies

Bambambini · 26/04/2017 13:13

"Transgender students should not have to declare their birth gender when applying to university sports clubs, the National Union of Students (NUS) is expected to rule.

It adds that trans and intersex students should not be asked to disclose their legal gender or personal medical information to participate in university sport, including details regarding hormone replacement therapy.

The motion suggests that the NUS follows the lead of Durham University’s new policy on inclusivity, whereby trans and intersex students are allowed to compete and train in whichever team “best fits their gender identity”."

Whole Telegraph article here www.telegraph.co.uk/education/2017/04/24/transgender-students-should-not-have-declare-birth-gender-applying/

OP posts:
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greenwool · 26/04/2017 15:59

Yes - the word 'transphobe' must be a very effective, career-threatening silencing term.

I have to go now, but the discussion was in response to this article about a trans high school student, who has taken no hormones, competing against the girls.

terrylene · 26/04/2017 16:00

I really wish some top female athletes would start speaking up about this, surely they must care?

They probably think it is too batshit to actually happen. That common sense will prevail, and that to come out with anything at this stage will result in them being labelled transphobic terfs. So they get on with the training.

FishInAWetSuitAndFlippers · 26/04/2017 16:00

I really wish some top female athletes would start speaking up about this, surely they must care?

I absolutely wouldn't speak out about it even if it ruined my livlihood. I have seen the devastation transactivists have caused and would never choose to have that inflicted on my family.

It's shit that the voices of women and transgender people who just want to get on with living are all being drowned out by a minority with an agenda.

AVirginLitTheCandle · 26/04/2017 16:01

Yes, YABU. Very.

And why do you think this? Why do you think it's okay for someone who is biologically male and who has all the biological advantages of being male to compete with women?

WankingMonkey · 26/04/2017 16:03

I really wish some top female athletes would start speaking up about this, surely they must care?

I am sure they do care, very much so as they know more than the general public just how unfair it is. However, speaking out would have them labelled intolerant transphobes and possibly have to retire from their sport because of the backlash/publicity. Horrible situation to be in.

TimetohittheroadJack · 26/04/2017 16:09

You would think though, that if a top sportswoman said transwomen shouldn't be competing, and articulated why, the general public would be able to see that she was right, and it's not fair. Thst said, I'm not sure I'd want to put myself in the firing line.

ZilphasHatpin · 26/04/2017 16:12

the general public would be able to see that she was right, and it's not fair

It isn't the general public she would need to worry about. It would be the death threats, rape threats, threats against her children, her family from transactivists. As well as law suits tying her up for years and the gagging orders that would come with that.

WankingMonkey · 26/04/2017 16:12

Thst said, I'm not sure I'd want to put myself in the firing line.

I wouldn't. Definitely not. I personally have had threats of rape and violence just for participating in discussions about trans. I was threatened with someone turning up at my house..which scared me so much I deleted my profile on another site just incase I had anything identifying on it. I dread to think the threats (and possible action) that would be made for something quite so public. Hell, look at the reaction to Jenni Murrays comments not long ago..

MrsTerryPratchett · 26/04/2017 16:13

It's the Emperor's new clothes. Who wants to be the first high-profile woman who gets called transphobic and bigoted?

Datun · 26/04/2017 16:15

Today 16:09 TimetohittheroadJack

You would think though, that if a top sportswoman said transwomen shouldn't be competing, and articulated why, the general public would be able to see that she was right, and it's not fair. Thst said, I'm not sure I'd want to put myself in the firing line.

Someone did try exactly that in Birmingham and got stabbed multiple times in the head and neck.

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/mar/14/champion-runner-lauren-jeska-jailed-for-attempted-of-uk-athletics-official-ralph-knibbs

AVirginLitTheCandle · 26/04/2017 16:17

That is so messed up Datun.

HTF is this even being allowed to happen?

Datun · 26/04/2017 16:19

I know AVirginLitTheCandle.

And the students that the OPs article is about only have to say out loud their gender identity.

There is no testing at all.

Given there are 56 gender identities, it's amazing that they only manage to choose one when it matters.

Fortnum · 26/04/2017 16:20

Jesus ref above pist cearly of unsound mind !

Datun · 26/04/2017 16:23

Today 16:20 Fortnum

Jesus ref above pist cearly of unsound mind !

Well quite. Disagreeing with the trans-ideology eroding women's rights is done so at your peril.

JigglyTuff · 26/04/2017 16:25

I hadn't seen that article greenwool. Perfect example. How is any girl going to beat him? She's not. No matter how hard she trains, he is always going to beat her.

Applebite · 26/04/2017 16:27

"women assigned male at birth"

WHAT THE FUCK DOES THIS EVEN MEAN?!? you are born one sex or the other. because that is nature/biology whatever you want to call it, even god's will.

if you want to live as the opposite sex, great, do whatever you like with your own life (so long as you don't trample on other people's right to do what they want with their life, and yes, competing in sports when you have an unfair natural/biological advantage does count as trampling on other people).

but you can never truly BE that sex. because that is nature/biology. and so there must be some lines drawn somewhere in some areas of life, and in my personal opinion, that means areas like changing rooms, toilets, saunas and spas, sports etc.

OlennasWimple · 26/04/2017 16:28

I wish some high profile male athletes would start talking about how unfair it is - it shouldn't take women to argue the point about how this effectively sounds the death knell for female sports. It should be patently obvious to anyone with half a brain

Imagine if Seb Coe, Mo Farah, David Weir plus David Beckham, Gary Lineker, Gareth Bale, Frank Lampard plus all came out and said "hang on, what does this mean for our female competitors? Are you sure, NUS, that you want to throw women under the bus like this?"

numberseven · 26/04/2017 16:29

Thst said, I'm not sure I'd want to put myself in the firing line.

I'd be scared. I shared an article about a girl who is a tomboy, not trans, on social media and someone told me "die in a fire you cis cunt".

Datun · 26/04/2017 16:31

Or some former champion, no longer on top of his game, male tennis player wins the Wimbledon women's final.

That might do it.

Megatherium · 26/04/2017 16:34

Oh look, another trans thread. What a novelty. Still, no need to bother to read it, it's going down the usual entirely predictable aggressive and scaremongering route.

BigDeskBob · 26/04/2017 16:37

I think any backlash would depend on the sport. No one would expect Nicola Adams to fight a MTT, and I think if a MTT won a high profile 100m race , I don't think people would be unsympathetic to the other competitors for voicing their concerns.

But a couple of MTT in a hockey match, or a weightlifting competition? I don't know.

Of course, I'm sure players and fans alike will rejoice when there are several ftt in every professional football team.

Datun · 26/04/2017 16:37

Still, no need to bother to read it,

Well, that might be your first problem.

greenwool · 26/04/2017 16:38

Megatherium, I would love to find out that this was scaremongering. What reassurance do you have for me?

greenwool · 26/04/2017 16:39

If you can reassure me, I will join you in arguing that all this is perfectly fine.

ForalltheSaints · 26/04/2017 16:40

My concern about all this is actually not the playing sport itself. It's that through self declaration a man pretends to want to be a woman to gain access to women's changing rooms. Or that women think there might be such men and are put off playing sport.