Boys taking gold and silver in girls' athletics

[Pratchet]

Here

Girls are really seriously affected by this now in the US. It's the path we're on here if we don't stop it.

That article is really confusing, presumably because the writer is scared of misgendering.

So basically, two boys identified as girls and pushed the girls out of the top spaces in athletics.

Oh joy.

I don't see how anyone can think this is fair

But it's girls so no one cares

What are the chances of a group that make up less than 1% of the population taking up two spaces in a race of 10/12 girls, if they don't have a competitive advantage?

Once this starts to trickle filter up into televised sports, people will sit up and take notice.

Until then I feel sorry for the young female athletes who have no choice but to compete in this uneven playing field or give up altogether as it will only get worse for them.

Whys is it 'on the path' here?

What are the current rules for affiliated junior athletics in UK (or each home nation) and what changes have actually been proposed?

“Parents understand that better than people who think I have a vested interest in my daughter winning first place in Class M in track and field in Connecticut, which nobody gives a (heck) about anyway.”

So...why bother entering it then?

I wish I hadn't read this so early today, my blood is boiling.

I expect they enter because it's their local event.

I enter a lot of local events, simply because I like running. How I do, relative to others, isn't important. I'm interested in my times though, so I can track how I'm progressing (or not) as an individual.

I don't think there's anyone who only enters 'important' events only, or at least not until adult/elite

Well that's a bit shit isn't it. As usual. And women are being unreasonable for complaining about this stuff?!? Its all absolute bollocks.
And good morning everyone. Excellent start to the day

How I do, relative to others, isn't important.

It might matter to the women being pushed down in the rankings by a male.

In the US, winning local events like this can have a significant impact on your ability to get into a good college.

In the US school sport is disproportionatly important because of NCAAs and scholarships... which can save rather a lot of money on fees...

It will certainly matter to those young female athletes in USA as their scholarship to top universities depends in their rankings.

I really really hope we don't end up like that here. The unfairness makes my blood boil

The girls surely knew but decided not to make a fuss? Not to boycott?

Hmm, not much of a choice is it? "Would you like your athletics career screwed now by boycotting, and get labelled a bigot and publicly vilified, or would you like it to end at the end of this season when you've failed to place in the top three in any race (where the one and two spots in every race went to biologically male individuals)?"

It should matter to all of us, because If this is allowed to continue there will be no top female athletes in 20 years.
No mention in the piece about male/female physiology being different, or that levels of testosterone allowed in these cases are far greater than the average level seen in women.

Not all events count towards rankings. For example, schools events definitely don't in England (and the CIAC is only schools events, but I know less about US system)

But I posted just to give an answer about why people enter events that nobody gives a heck about, as that was asked unthread as a specific question.

Nice that the parent of the winning child gets to decide whether anyone else gives a heck about the event. Would they have a different opinion if the event was connected to scholarships and college places? I doubt it.

I'd imagine everyone who enters these events gives a 'heck' about them, otherwise why bother. These are competitions, people are trying to get a good place. If they are pushed down unfairly then clearly that is a problem.

If males aren't normally allowed in an event, and women who take performance-enhancing drugs are banned, then logically trans-identified males should be kept out too.

Well yes you should take a standBecause otherwise it will carry on. It will be taken as acceptance. Women made progress in the past and it will be the only way going forward. It's not easy. I am not sure how I would respond when pushed. Nevertheless we should be socialising ourselves to accept that is what we may need to do

The article is so badly written and confusing. It's a pretty simple question. Should boys be allowed to compete in girls' events? And if so, why bother having separate events for girls and boys?

There's a linked article too, about Andraya Yearwood:

www.courant.com/sports/hc-jacobs-column-yearwood-transgender-0531-20170530-column.html

This article claims the issue is "nuanced and difficult". But it's really not.
It quotes Yearwood's father as saying:

"In terms of the fairness aspect, I don't think about that as a father. I only think about, is my daughter happy, healthy and able to participate in what she wants to do? I don't care if she wins or loses. I don't care if she wins and gives the medals back. She got to compete as a girl where she feels she should compete. That's all that matters to me."

That takes parental selfishness to extraordinary levels. What about the other girls? Doesn't anybody care about them? (Well, we know the answer to that.)

Girls lose out on scholarships in favour of boys (who perhaps wouldn't otherwise get a scholar).

There is no incentive here at all. There is nothing worrying at all about girls not being educated.

By law US universities have to spend as much on female sports and scholarships as they do on males.

So this race has not just stopped 2 girls from competing and displacing 2 girls from the top positions, it leads on to 2 girls losing out on finance, scholarship and a university education.

And in the UK several universities have already thrown the rule book away, allowing men who think they are women to compete in women's sport, with no testosterone checking or consent sought from women.

The reason men are faster than women is no state secret. It’s testosterone. according to the article.

So, nothing whatever to do with bigger heart lung capacity, stronger muscles, longer levers etc. at all. Yeah, right.

What a badly written and researched article. It confuses the issue by referring to males as girls and continues the lie that the only advantage men have over women is testosterone and not e.g. completely different hip and knee structures, greater lung and heart capacity, great bone density (and frequently longer stride length).