parkrun defending their position

[Funtime2]

I used to be a parkrunner and do not understand how parkrun can defend their position of allowing trans identfying males into the female category.

I read that 280 published race winners in the female category are actually men identifying as women. How is this fair to women? Some women don’t care about this but some women do, just as some men take it as a race and care about the rankings and some men don’t

The other option of course is they could stop the timing, stop recording winners and records?

AIBU to genuinely not understand why parkrun claim not to be a race when they time the runners, publish times by category, rank times and runners, and have record holders by category.

Yes, that was my point. Sorry - not very clear.

Parkrun doesn’t have to segregate by sex though. They could choose not to segregate by sex at all.

The law doesn’t need ‘nuance’. The law is there to protect occasions when sex discrimination is needed to achieve a proportionate aim. If a group decides that they are not going to discriminate by sex at all, then they don’t have to under certain conditions.

Segregation by gender identity is meaningless. Because who has a gender identity? I don’t. I have a sex category. So why would a sporting organisation have such a meaningless category that is then also indirect discrimination?

If there is no need to discriminate based on sex, what does discrimination on gender identity achieve?

No you can't, currently under the provisions of the sc ruling there is an issue whereby trans women and trans men are both protected under the pc of gender reassignment this creates a clash of rights with the sex pc. This is further muddied by the refusal to publish any meaningful guidelines. Hence the need for further clarification and nuance within the ea2010.

Practically I think that would end up with no women only spaces again, because companies and organisations would rather incur the wrath of peaceful feminists than the TRAs, many of whom act like domestic terrorists.

They register under male and female. If they were trans they could register under a separate 'gender identity' or 'prefer not to say'. But the moment they register as female, they are registering in a sex category. Which therefore, breaches the SC ruling.

Only those with a GRC are protected under the pc of gender reassignment.

Lovely to know that you consider women's rights to be a non-issue.

Not true.

This is nothing to do with women’s rights though. No one is stopping any woman from running as fast as she can and logging her own time. Even being competitive.

It is a none issue, Parkrun doesn’t have a cash prize, it doesn’t even have a winners medal. It is a bimble around a park. If you want to run competitively sign up for a local race - some of those are even free!

It's a fun park run. If you want a race, go find a competitive one to take part in. It's open for all, some of us like the fact that it's inclusive for everyone, regardless of sex, age, gender, ability.

Exactly! Cross posted

Where is that from?

People who hold a GRC will have the protected characteristic of gender reassignment, but it is not necessary to have a GRC to have this protected characteristic.

https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-10137/

When men's times are publicly listed as female, and timings and placings are listed, it is a competition. London marathon takes from Parkrun times.
This is 100% about womens rights.

Many trans women will say their sex was female at birth, as they were born that way.

I think “gender assigned at birth” might be the correct terminology.

Then REMOVE all rankings, timings and placings.

You can't have it both ways!!

I honestly couldn’t give a toss whether a woman ahead of me in the parkrun ranking is trans or not.

I’m generally pro trans rights but do accept there are some situations where the subject needs nuance and careful handling. I just don’t think a free weekly funrun led by volunteers is one.

Equality and human rights commission.

There is no mention of it here, which there presumably would be, had it been a necessity:

www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/section/7

You can have a group for trans women because it is a group for people who share the protected characteristics of gender reassignment and male sex. (Similar logic means you can have a group for lesbians because they share the protected characteristics of same-sex attraction and female sex)

You don’t need to justify what a group does so it can then chose to do activities with a women’s group.

https://www.parkrun.org.uk/aberystwyth/results/eventhistory/

"won" 9 times. And 1st overall a couple.

Was unimpressed by Park Run not having a women’s category, makes ‘women’s’ rankings and records meaningless while men keep theirs.

But was shocked by the attempted murder case shared by @SlipperyLizard and the suggestion that, even after an attempted murder by a ‘winner’ and ‘record holder’, with his motive reported to be this very issue, Park Run have let its published ‘women’s’ record by the male perpetrator stand.

If true, says a lot about Park Run as an organisation and its leadership.

Chat GPT says the ‘record’ was in 2012, the attempted murder 2017, and ‘record’ was still on the Park Run website in 2023.

It is absolutely about women’s rights. This organisation are funded and required to treat everyone fairly. By refusing to have a rule that provides women with their own category distinct from men, they are failing.

By providing rankings they have introduced an element of competition which some take very seriously. Why do you think women should be denied fair competition?

Are you this unbothered about all types of unfair treatment or is it just women who need to suck it up?

Why do you think women should be denied fair competition?

It's not a competition!! 😭🤣