To think Laurel Hubbard should not be competing against other women

[Belle82]

I know I am going to get ripped apart for this.

I have no problem with the transgender community, that is your life/body and I am not one to judge anyone else, do what makes you happy.

There is something fundamentally wrong about a person who is biologically a man competing against a woman in sport as significant as weightlifting.
I am not taking anything away from women weightlifters, however when competing in that sport, a person who was born a man will always have an unfair advantage over a woman.

I am all for equal rights but it seems political correctness has now put us in a position that we will only consider the equal rights of those in the transgender community. What happens to the equal rights of all the other women who have worked extremely hard to get to the olympics who should be competing against biological women.

There needs to be clearer cut criteria on entrance requirements to every sport, to give every person the equal rights they deserve.

My heart goes out to all the other women competing who I’m sure must be somewhat disheartened about their chances of success now they are competing against a biological man.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jul/29/ioc-praises-weightlifter-laurel-hubbard-ahead-of-transgender-athletes-olympic-debut

@chunderwunder

Thanks for starting a thread for all the bigots to have a froth about transgender people, OP. You're providing a valuable service that they can't get elsewhere on Mumsnet and other social media.

Thanks for providing a good illusration of how genderists approach women's concerns, chunderwunder.

Interesting how everyone who disagrees is a 'bigot'. Are you finding that overuse of that term renders it meaningless?

And also noting it's always 'frothing'. See also 'screeching'. Never just women talking.

@Bryonyshcmyony

How long until a mixed reley team comprises 4 x biological males?

Not long.

And it won't be long before a women's team will be entirely represented by males.

YA absolutely NBU. It would be a disgrace to move this thread. Anyone with a daughter who has sporting ambitions should be aware that her place in international competitions could be usurped by a male born person with all the physical advantages that brings. And that applies to the vast majority of competitive sports.

@chunderwunder

Thanks for starting a thread for all the bigots to have a froth about transgender people, OP. You're providing a valuable service that they can't get elsewhere on Mumsnet and other social media.

Ah the darvo approach. Nah. We see you. This is nothing to do with bigotry. But it's all about misogyny and cheating. Maybe try reading and understanding a little harder. Rather than just parroting the same tired old crap. Your cries of bigotry no longer work. Tired. Overused. Boring. Means nothing. Hth.

This is a useful guide to how & why men are physically advantaged over women.

I do completely disagree with LH taking part in the womens event. However I'm confused as to why it's specifically a woman of colour that LH is taking a place from. Is it only Maori women who do weightlifting in NZ? Sorry if I've missed the whole story.

What is wrong with the so called modern liberals that they are applauding a rich white man cheating poor indigenous women out of a sports competition which could help improve their lives massively

@Shoxfordian

What do you think the best solution is for transgender athletes? They should compete with the gender they’re born into? Not be allowed at all? It seems unfair to say Laurel can’t compete. Maybe there needs to be extra categories

They should do precisely what Alana Smith does, and compete with their own sex.

This makes me so so mad. I also read the comment by the IOC chief exec "everyone agrees trans women are women". What a fucking arrogant arse.

This is so shit for women.

Everyone should compete as the sex they were born. If they want to identify as female, male, non binary or something else, then that's up to them. Laurel Hubbard could easily compete in the male category...except of course she couldn't as she's not good enough.

Makes as much sense as Norm the biker who now identifies as a cyclist!!!

The absurdity of it will become clear when Hubbard competes... the physiological differences cannot be medically reduced by a transition. Men have better...
Muscle hypertrophy
Muscle Strength improvement
O2 carrying capacity
Metabolic response to exercise
Fat composition
Density of lipoproteins
Bone strength, length and density
Heart size and volume capacity
Hemoglobin effectiveness
Biomechanics (carrying angles, longer limbs, smaller pelvis)

Not to mention training as a man for so many years; psychologically what that does, having access to better training and therefore competition outcomes.

@MsTSwift

I don’t understand the emphasis on “being inclusive” but the end result is actually excluding women.

This

Because of Laurel Hubbard another athlete didn't get selected for the squad. Even if LH doesn't get gold, there's another athlete denied the chance to even try for it.
If LH wants to compete, LH should enter the men's group. Of course, LH would find themselves very far down the pecking order and with no hope of even getting selected for the men's Olympic squad.
Oh, wait.
It's cheating dressed up in woke clothing.

Transwomen athletes don’t want a separate competition. It’s seen as “othering” and doesn’t give them the validation they want.

They just need to be told “no, you’re not eligible for the female competition.”

Just no.

It's funny because although I identify as a millionaire, my bank refuse to validate this and won't give me the money...it's almost as if I can't have everything I want

What do you think the best solution is for transgender athletes? They should compete with the gender they’re born into? Not be allowed at all? It seems unfair to say Laurel can’t compete. Maybe there needs to be extra categories
They can compete in their own sex class. Who was the male British pro cyclist who decided they were trans but held off transitioning until they had competed in the big race they were aiming for, then realised they weren’t going to qualify so quickly transitioned instead so they could qualify as a woman? Gender is not a box of chocolates to pick and choose the one that advantages you the most.

Also, I can’t ever be an Olympian. I’m not elite athlete material. That’s perfectly fair as far as elite sports goes - the only fair in elite sports is sex classes and no illegal/unauthorised drugs (mostly). Most of us just have to accept this, now men get another option.

@Shoxfordian

What do you think the best solution is for transgender athletes? They should compete with the gender they’re born into? Not be allowed at all? It seems unfair to say Laurel can’t compete. Maybe there needs to be extra categories

They compete in their sex category, as long as they meet the other rules. Why wouldn't they?

Of course YANBU, OP. Hubbard is a cheat, and everyone in the relevant authorities that allow this is a cowardly POS.

Interesting poll.

It almost looks like women don't like this decision by the IOC very much and think it unfair.

@Shoxfordian

What do you think the best solution is for transgender athletes? They should compete with the gender they’re born into? Not be allowed at all? It seems unfair to say Laurel can’t compete. Maybe there needs to be extra categories

Not our problem really. A woman has already been told she can't compete to make way for Laurel.

Obvious solution is either a person competes in line with their sex, Laurel wouldn't have qualified for the men's competition because they are not good enough. Failing that a transgender or open category might work.

*You need to be clearer with your language

There should be a male category, a female category, then women's and men's, where any sex/gender identity can compete the women's or men's category.*

Last time I checked, a man is an adult male, a woman is an adult female.

And the categories are 'men's' and 'womens'.

who had never competed internationally until transitioning at 35

I wonder why.

Of course you're not being unreasonable. It's total nonsense, and grossly unfair to female athletes, to segregate sport by gender identity. The IOC should be ashamed of themselves.

[quote Notaschoolday]Makes as much sense as Norm the biker who now identifies as a cyclist!!!

[/quote] Brilliant, says it all really.

I don’t understand the emphasis on “being inclusive” but the end result is actually excluding women

Womens sport is already inclusive. Of all.women with all sirts if different back grounds and all and no gender identities.

The only ones excluded are biological males. Which is supposed to be the point.

Why should womens sport include males when males already have sports for them?

Maybe the classes should be on chromosomes so an xx and xy.

And what about the new crazy we have of non binary.
Example Alana Smith who has declared herself so but happy to be a woman when it comes to competition. You just can’t make up the crazy that is gender. I would like to scrap the whole concept of gender and go back to just plain old fashioned sex. Live your life however you want but accept your biological sex isn’t changeable.