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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

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Original poster

Transman on steroids wins girls wrestling competition

41 replies

roseshippy · 19/02/2017 16:08

Mack Beggs is biologically female, and is taking steroids, which dramatically increase muscle/power/strength, in order to 'transition' to a male.

According to Texas school sports laws, she must compete according to the gender on her birth certificate - female.

Steroids are banned except if for a 'valid medical purpose'. In this case the medical purpose is to become a man.

So the rules are apparently quite rational, but whereas one is unambiguous - you compete as the gender on your birth certificate, the other - the 'medical exemption' is not.

sportsday.dallasnews.com/high-school/high-schools/2017/02/18/transgender-teen-wins-regional-wrestling-title-despite-attempt-ban-competing

OP posts:
Datun · 19/02/2017 18:17

Yet more exploitation of a crazy law.

MercyMyJewels · 19/02/2017 18:39

That's the way to get around the steroid rules for competitive sport then

RufusTheSpartacusReindeer · 19/02/2017 19:11

Oh for fucks sake

VestalVirgin · 19/02/2017 19:12

Yeah. It would not surprise me if some more athletes declared transgender identity. Handy excuse.

Why is there an exception for "valid medical purpose"? This should be narrowed down so it can only be used if that medical purpose means there's no advantage due to it. (If that is ever possible.)

Mide7 · 19/02/2017 19:12

You can take any banned substance as long as you have a medical exemption form

Gallavich · 19/02/2017 19:13

Steroids to transition? I thought testosterone was bad enough. This is madness. She doesn't become a man by using steroids, she becomes a woman with steroid induced muscle development Hmm

Gallavich · 19/02/2017 19:15

Is testosterone a steroid? Confused

Prawnofthepatriarchy · 19/02/2017 19:20

Testosterone is a steroid.

Mide7 · 19/02/2017 19:25

A lot of anabolic Steroids are synthetic testosterone

HelenDenver · 19/02/2017 19:46

"You can take any banned substance as long as you have a medical exemption form"

Is that true in eg the Olympics, grand slam etc? I thought various sports stars couldn't take the recommended treatments because of restrictions?

BoomBoomsCousin · 19/02/2017 19:47

That's not the way to get around the steroid ban for competitive sport, because competitive sport does not have those rules. These are the rules for Texas schools (not competitive sport) because the Texas Board of Education is heavily populated by the religious right who attempt to get conservative religious ideology set into school policy.

HelenDenver · 19/02/2017 19:54

Thanks, Boom, I didn't think it could be a universal rule!

Mide7 · 19/02/2017 19:59

Pretty sure its across all sports/ levels but being a professional athlete the evidence needed is greater.

HelenDenver · 19/02/2017 20:07

Hmm.

Appreciate sharapova didn't seek permission, but she did have a history of taking this medicine for health reasons and there is no indication in the article that she would have avoided the ban by submitting medical need evidence.

m.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/37549424

Original poster
roseshippy · 19/02/2017 20:14

uh, why do you think medical exemptions are connected to the religious right?

Russian hackers released data showing that top international athletes such as Bradley Wiggins had taken steroids for 'medical reasons' (in his case, a supposed pollen allergy). This information was secret until leaked. www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/oct/18/chris-froome-questions-remain-bradley-wiggins-tues-use-cycling Note that any advantage gained was nothing like as massive as here, although in the context of elite sport, potentially crucial.

My reading is

(a) Texas bans transgender athletes from competing as their new gender - because they are conservative
(b) Texas allows medical exemptions for banned substances because that's standard across all sport
(c) A doctor - who is anything but conservative - says that testosterone is needed by this girl because of gender dysphoria

And there's nothing that can be done, because the drug is deemed 'medically necessary'.

The issue is you can write a political decision - such as transgender athletes to compete as their birth sex - but you can't overrule (possibly dubious) medical opinion.

OP posts:
Original poster
roseshippy · 19/02/2017 20:17

Sharapova's issue was that she had been taking the drug (not a steroid, and not 100% proven to be performance enhancing) - perfectly legally - for years, but when a notice was put out that it was to be banned, the relevant members of her team didn't take notice and either

(a) seek a therapeutic use exemption or
(b) stop taking it.

OP posts:
Newname12 · 19/02/2017 20:41

My 11 year old dd is an athlete.

She is currently competing against a boy who identifies as a girl.

The mtf just has the edge at the minute, but in a few years will be way ahead.

Nothing i can do.

Datun · 19/02/2017 21:25

newname

Write to your MP. Write to the IOC.

Is the boy on hormones? Has he been tested? The IOC guidelines stipulate that testosterone has to be down at a certain level in order to compete against girls. It's still ridiculous, but if he is merely identifying that goes against guidelines.

reallyanotherone · 19/02/2017 21:41

Well she's competing with the knowledge of the national governing body as they are sanctioned events. At 10/11 alot of the girls are still pre pubescent so doesn't stand out.

Been competing since she was 9. As far as i know at present it's simply identifying, no treatment.

I presume she has been given permission to enter girls races, as i said, they are ngb comps.

I dunno. I feel bad because it's a child who probably has a tough life ahead. Someone will say something eventually and the shit will hit the fan. Poor kid. But then i also feel it's unfair to the girls who train so hard.

reallyanotherone · 19/02/2017 21:41

Sorry at computer and namechanged along the way...

Katnisnevergreen · 19/02/2017 22:02

Datum, have you read this thread or just jumped to the usual conclusion? This is a young person, born female, and transitioning to a male. He is being made to compete against girls because his transition is not recognised by small minded right wing conservatives. Therefore no threat to feminism at all...perhaps proving though at people should be able to compete in their new gender competitions.

Datun · 19/02/2017 22:18

kat

I was replying to Newname12 the poster above my reply, whose daughter is having to compete against someone born male identifying as female.

The poster you, however, are talking about is saying a girl is transitioning to be a boy and is taking testosterone during that transition and is wrestling against other girls. Thereby giving her an unfair advantage over those girls.

Katnisnevergreen · 19/02/2017 22:41

But it can't go both ways. Do we say that people like the op's example should compete in their new gender to avoid them having an advantage, but in the same breathe do we say people as in new names' post should have to compete in their original gender to avoid them having an advantage?
Neither way works without offending people

HelenDenver · 19/02/2017 22:43

Katnis

It could be that it's not possible to have any kind of level playing field if some athletes are competing outside of their biological sex.

HelenDenver · 19/02/2017 22:45

That's not about having it both ways.

When Pistorious wanted to compete in the Olympics as well as the Paralympics, his running blades were checked for advantages over male calves and feet. If there had been such an advantage, it would not have been possible for him to compete without adjusting the blades.

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