That women shouldn’t be forced into silence over males competing in female sports

[Ikeasucks]

NEW Zealand has selected a 43 yr old transwoman to represent them in the Olympics in the women’s weightlifting competition. Female athletes feel they are being forced into silence on the issue. How did it come to this?

www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/females-told-be-quiet-transgender-issue-ex-weightlifter-2021-05-07/

@OwlBeThere

For people who feel silenced I hear about how everyone on mumsnet feels about trans women every 5 mins.

Yes I wonder why you hear it a lot on mn but not so much in real life?

Could it be it’s an anonymous forum? There are obviously widespread strong feelings which are not able to be publicly discussed. People won’t stop feeling this because it’s not allowed to be talked about, and it will cause simmering resentment. This I feel is one of the reasons that labour polled so poorly.

@Thatisnotwhatisaid

I don’t particularly like Caitlin Jenner but I’m pleased she spoke out against this. It’s so very wrong.

The same Caitlin Jenner that competes in women's golf?

@OwlBeThere

For people who feel silenced I hear about how everyone on mumsnet feels about trans women every 5 mins.

It's a female atlete who is talking about being silenced. Did you read the article?

We are forced into silence on many issues not just this one. I can’t afford to be “cancelled” and lose my job and my ability to support my DC. I don’t want my DC to be bullied by people who don’t agree with my opinions. So I keep my thoughts to myself. These people will not hesitate to destroy your life and make threats of rape and violence against you if you don’t agree with them. Even the police will arrest you for daring to think certain thoughts. You need to protect yourself by staying silent.

How did it come to this?

I don’t know @Ikeasucks Itsreally depressing.

I’d never have thought, as a teenage feminist in the late 70s, that we would come to this.

That even using the word “women” to refer only to adult human females, would become a dangerous thing to do.

It makes me so mad, and a bit ashamed of being a Kiwi. We're brought up on an ethos of fair play, it underpins absolutely all sport in NZ, and yet the Olympic team is happy about this.

The expressions on the women who came 2nd and 3rd in the Commonwealth Games spoke volumes.

@OwlBeThere

For people who feel silenced I hear about how everyone on mumsnet feels about trans women every 5 mins.

No, you just hear women’s opinions of transwomen who are doing something to the disadvantage of female women.

I have a transwoman acquaintance who transitioned some years back, married a man, has pink hair, runs a cafe and goes cycling at weekends. You don’t hear how I feel about that daily because none of it disadvantages others unfairly.

@GrouchyKiwi

It makes me so mad, and a bit ashamed of being a Kiwi. We're brought up on an ethos of fair play, it underpins absolutely all sport in NZ, and yet the Olympic team is happy about this.

The expressions on the women who came 2nd and 3rd in the Commonwealth Games spoke volumes.

One of them was a victim of domestic violence too, wasn't she?

Whilst the white millionaire Hubbard caused a car accident and got off very lightly.

i.stuff.co.nz/national/114218682/victims-of-laurel-hubbard-crash-appalled-at-sentence-and-suppression

It's disgraceful. There needs to be a separate category for trans athletes. I feel for the female athletes who've trained for years and now know they have no hope of winning.

Imagine only being able to win by being a cheater, how embarrassing.

It's cheating. My only hope is trans women competing in female categories in the Olympics might shine a light on the utter unfairness of this situation.

Is this the same person who identifies as female who's competing has already taken away from women, especially the indigenous women of NZ? Not that it matters, all the same bollocks.

At least the Save Women's Sports movement in American seems to be making some headway.

@Cocolapew

Imagine only being able to win by being a cheater, how embarrassing.

That;s a powerful photo.

I am wondering (and I do not know much about this whole debate so may be wrong) that if LH and other men competing in womens sports do so in an event that it so so exposed to the general public of all the world as the Olympics that the general narrative might change with people saying 'WTF?'.

That might be a somewhat forlorn hope though.

100% agree. And I am sick of the transphobic comments aimed at people who complain about it!

WOW, 99% agree with you @Ikeasucks That speaks volumes!

@Ifyourefeelingsinister

It's cheating. My only hope is trans women competing in female categories in the Olympics might shine a light on the utter unfairness of this situation.

Oh I just said what you said, - but you were alot more succinct. :)

Yes, people post more on here about trans issues because let's just say that certain people who are more numerous within the trans movement have legal retainers on defamation lawyers.

This isn’t right or fair. Deep down everyone knows this, but no one is free to say it in public, under their own name.

This culture of fear is crazy, but it can’t last forever.

@Biscuitsanddoombar

If women refuse to take part all that leads to is women losing out again

Women have the right to expect that their sports governing bodies will safe guard their right to fair completion not wang them under the bus for woke points

Yes. The young women athletes may get one or two shots at an Olympic position, it's not fair to expect them to 'strike'. (Unlike Hubbard, they're unlikely to still qualify in their 40s).

So by and large it's left to older sportswomen who are trying to counter this displacement of some women by males.

Jenner, I suppose, offers an example to a fairer and safer route to 'inclusion' of trans people in sport - winning medals fair and square in the correct sex category, having that sporting career and then moving on. Playing a non contact sport which has a handicapping system, socially, may or may not be 100% fair but it's nothing like what Hubbard is doing.

We should be able to speak out but unfortunately powerful females are being forced to silence.
www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/caitlyn-jenner-says-transgender-girls-women-s-sports-unfair-n1266138
Caitlyn Jenner may ruin her campaign from speaking out.

As a sports woman (very amateur but I compete in teams), this really saddens me.
It’s the end of women’s sport and no one seems to care.

@GrouchyKiwi

It makes me so mad, and a bit ashamed of being a Kiwi. We're brought up on an ethos of fair play, it underpins absolutely all sport in NZ, and yet the Olympic team is happy about this.

The expressions on the women who came 2nd and 3rd in the Commonwealth Games spoke volumes.

What about the woman who came 4th... she was blocked from a medal and a place on the podium by this cheat.

It's absolutely disgusting. More top level male athletes need to start speaking out about this too, I'm sure they'll be able to do so without the bile that's been spewed at the women who have had the courage to say that males competing in women's sport is wrong. It's madness that stating something so obvious takes courage!

Out of interest does anyone know if any current top level male athletes have commented on it?

I think women athletes are going to have to work as one with this. They should all turn up to their events but refuse to compete on the day. With worldwide TV schedules booked, they are going to have to embarrass the governing bodies into listening/acting.