To think that Martina Navratilova should NOT lose her job at the BBC and that the BBC is biased?

[TeamNavratilova]

On Sunday, Martina Navratilova had an article published in the Sunday Times, giving her views on the inclusion of transwomen (biological males who identify as being women) in women’s sport:

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-rules-on-trans-athletes-reward-cheats-and-punish-the-innocent-klsrq6h3x?shareToken=45bc9997e063aaf79646a7f12a7363a6

The BBC subsequently decided to have a discussion item on this on 5 Live and invited Dr Nicola Williams from Fair Play for Women - fairplayforwomen.com - to speak on Martina’s side of the argument along with Rachel McKinnon (a male-bodied cyclist who identifies as a woman and now holds a cycling world title in women’s cycling).

Rachel McKinnon refused to appear on the show if Dr Williams was on so the BBC’s response was to uninvite Dr Williams and instead interview Rachel McKinnon along with another trans sportsperson who agreed with Rachel. The other side of the argument (along with all facts about the physical differences between male and female bodies which Dr Williams could have provided) was not covered and both interviewees were asked (on the BBC, by a BBC presenter) whether the BBC should fire Martina to which they both replied yes: twitter.com/fairplaywomen/status/1097417280084951040 McKinnon has continued to argue for this online.

AIBU to think that Martina should not lose her commentating job at the BBC for expressing her (considered, researched) views and that the BBC has behaved in a biased and unethical way, firstly, by only presenting one side of an argument on a discussion show and, secondly, by using the opportunity to put forward the idea that Martina should be sacked?

“If things like this continue I fear there will be a huge backlash against transgender people which will not end well.”

Good point.
And one which many individual Trans people seem to hold. But they too are silenced by the vitriol and threats by the Trans Rights Activists.

I’ve complained to the BBC, and am planning to complain to the Guardian over its complete misrepresentation of reaction of the original article (basically saying Martina has been criticised on social media, completely ignoring the fact that the overwhelming reaction was support).

Women’s sport will simply cease to exist if people with male bodies are allowed to compete. It is not just about testosterone levels, it is male puberty and the muscle, strength and height advantages that brings.

Women wanting a say in women's sport? Tush OP, you'll be demanding the vote and equal pay next.

On a serious note though, women are fortunately not a minority. We cannot be written out of sport, nor silenced, unless we allow ourselves to be.

I used to listen to Radio 4, particularly the news. In the evening it would be BBC at 10 and/or news night. You could trust them for unbiased and balanced reporting.
Politicians were grilled, awkward questions asked and answers demanded.

Now? I don't trust them at all. I don't bother with their biased reporting.

This is just another nail in their coffin.

I have listened to the show and read the Times article and complained.

I don't think the radio presenter had even read the article. It was so one sided it was a joke. Nothing was mentioned about FairPlay for Women being uninvited. It was just an unnecessary attack on Martina Navratilova.

The BBC has seized on this because it allows them to be all righteous and woke and if anyone dares question their take on it, the likes of McKinnon will help them out and scream 'transphobes' as loud as possible. It's gold. Women are being slowly erased from sport.

I will be complaining too. Team Martina.

I put in a complaint yesterday. I asked for specifics in a reply.

Is allowing a guest to ‘no platform’ someone who’s view is opposite of theirs, against BBC Policy? If so what action has been taken to ensure this does not occur again on BBC networks?
How can having two Transwomen and a man discussing this not be biased?

The awful man on Jeremy Vine show is a Sociology Professor from Aston University, who constantly referred to a study suggesting women would be able to compete with men if they only trained harder and believed in themselves more. He was so awful, I wrote his name down somewhere .......Ellis Cashmore, he doesn’t believe that sport should be kept binary, because the world is no longer binary.
It was on after 1.00 yesterday. The only slightly good side is that even the ‘stunning and brave’ JV seemed shocked by the Professors suggestion that all sport should be non binary!

It's so utterly ridiculous. I'm supportive of trans rights, know people who are trans (both MtF and FtM), and generally am very much in the camp of people being free to be who they are.

But expecting women to physically compete with someone who's had the advantages of a male physiology to develop their body is nonsense.

There are some very, very good female athletes out there - but that doesn't change the fact that, for example, the kind of bench press numbers that put a man in the "intermediate" performance banding would represent an extremely high level for a woman of the same bodyweight. If someone is trans, irrespective of their current hormone profile etc now, if they've had a decade of benefiting from that beforehand, it's not fair to put them up against women who've trained without the assistance of drugs.

I'm not one to get too riled up about "fairness" in many cases, as life often isn't fair. But sport very much is meant to be, and that's why we have gradings by sex, weight, experience etc.

It's not transphobic to say that women who were previously men have an unfair advantage in most aspects of physical performance, and it's unfair to expect non-trans women to compete with them. As far as I can see, that's what Martina Navratilova's position is, and I think it is a perfectly reasonable one.

Are they planning to dump Linekar as a prominent Remainer?
Or are they more scared of kippers than they are of women?

#TeamMartina

Fully behind her, and I'll make sure i buy the times as well today

Now? I don't trust them at all. I don't bother with their biased reporting.

Same here. I’ve started to watch Chanel 4 news at 7pm and I feel much more informed.

And very good point avoid Lineker and Brexit. Although he’s a man so will be slower to say what the heck he likes unlike Jenni and women in general.

*about not avoid

The awful man on Jeremy Vine show is a Sociology Professor from Aston University, who constantly referred to a study suggesting women would be able to compete with men if they only trained harder and believed in themselves more

I know this country seems to have a bit of a 'thing' about experts

But why the fuck would you ask a professor of sociology about this? Surely you'd ask a professor of biology or PE or someone who actually knows about sports

Can we get Team Martina -shirts?

I would really like to stop paying my licence as am sick of the BBC. But I do watch itv so guess I can't stop paying.

Wish it was a £10 a month subscription service as it would be so much easier to opt out.

Team Martina T Shirts would be great.

And this is an absolute disgrace.

Martina is so balanced and fair - she went away and researched the topic and then she came back and said the truth.

For this the woke media are trying to vilify this.

But the public are not on side with all this - all the comments I have seen on the Guardian's biased article were in support of Martina.

Also a good piece here by Helen Saxby

medium.com/@helensaxby1/martina-and-the-level-playing-field-1055fae87137

As an aside I saw last night that in the Canadian Winter Games, they will not even ask the biological sex of the competitor. So any male without any intervention whatsoever will be able to claim to be a woman and enter the women's races.

#TeamMartina
#TeamNic
#TeamFPFW
#TeamWomenAreAdultHumanFemales

Here is the article about the Canadian Winter Games:

www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/article-canada-winter-games-implements-new-gender-inclusion-policy-for-2019/

“Because athletes aren’t asked to provide their gender — only which gender they’ll be competing as — Patterson doesn’t know how many athletes the new policy will benefit.”

They forgot a word: they don’t know how many MALE athletes this will benefit.

Its just what my father would call 'stating the bleeding obvious'. Its fairly staggering that it is a contentious point at all.

I don't think Joe Public are on board with mem competing in women's sport at all. When it all started the DM comments let alone the guardian were unanimous.

YANBU

It is a free society. Everyone should be able to speak their truth.

www.wsj.com/articles/martina-navratilovas-girl-power-11550519654

The Wall Street Journal has covered this - UK feminists are leading the world in challenging this issue.

But why the fuck would you ask a professor of sociology about this? Surely you'd ask a professor of biology or PE or someone who actually knows about sports
Maybe the BBC couldn't find a biology/sports academic who disagreed with Martina because, well, what she is saying is correct?
#TeamMartina

I would think that anyone who knows anything about sports or biology would agree with Martina TBH.

So yes, you may well have to look to some nonentity who wants to make a name for himself by talking rubbish before you can get anyone to defend this.

So glad this thread exists. I can't believe how quickly women's voices are being silenced. And by the BBC. No issue with someone being trans. But sports is based on physiology. I can't believe the powers that be are overlooking this in favour of not upsetting some very vocal trans activists. It's surely just common sense?