Great article in The Telegraph by James Kirkup

[MenstruatorExtraordinaire]

www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/2019/02/21/martina-navratilova-serving-sense-gender/#

Martina Navratilova is one of the last people you’d expect to be accused of intolerance. Arguably still the world’s most famous lesbian, the tennis player neither concealed nor apologised for her sexuality at a time when many gay people were afraid to come out to family, never mind a global sporting audience. She also gave a coaching job to Renée Richards, a player on the women’s circuit who was born Richard Raskind.

This week, Navratilova was sacked by Athlete Ally, a US campaign for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in sport. The group has accused her of “transphobia” for questioning whether a transgender woman, born and raised male and retaining a full male body, should be allowed to compete in women’s sport simply because they have taken drugs to reduce their testosterone levels.

That meets the criteria of many sporting authorities, but troubles a lot of people, including Navratilova. They note that underlying male biology means transgender women build up muscle mass, height and reach, giving them advantages that cannot be erased by changing their hormones.

Goes on at length

Ends

Then it emerged that Karen White, transgender and rapist, had been sent to a prison full of vulnerable women where White assaulted other inmates. This showed the public what “trans women are women” means for prisons, and the policy that made this possible is now being revised.

Trans rights and their implications for others need to be debated calmly and openly. Navratilova has done a service by opening up this issue to the public. She has put the ball deep into the court of those who aggressively lobby for the trans agenda. By trying to hit back so hard, they’ve lost this game. Sticking with the same intolerant tactics could well cost them set and match too.

Cracking article thank you James

www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/2019/02/21/martina-navratilova-serving-sense-gender/#

Yes, another great article. Thank you James. I am actually heartbroken that I am still having to go to The Telegraph, The Times and The Spectator for articles like this. Clearly as an ex Guardian reader I can’t agree with everything in these publications, but I am finding more common ground than I thought I might, and I enjoy the writing styles and standards.

Thanks for this

I'm finding MilletSentToForceIt that I can stomach right wing economic and social policies much more than I can being lied to by a newspaper that feels it is entitled to lie to me because it is morally superior to me.

Guardian reader here but have recently started a 30 day free subscription with the Spectator, not sure if I'll continue as I feel like I need a shower after I've read the comments section, it's like the DM with better SPAG.

I think I've come to the conclusion that the right wing is willing to engage in debate and say they disagree whilst the left plays lip service to understanding concerns about its politics but then actively works against those campaigning for change. So I guess I don't find right leaning news media quite so patronising.

James has written quite a few good articles in The Spectator which is why I signed up.

I signed up to the Spectator because of him and Lionel Shriver. I disagree with a lot of the articles and the posh people's lives at the back seem like a spoof parody but I enjoy reading something different. They don't seem to take themselves as seriously as left wing writers and you feel they often know they're maybe stretching a point a bit.
Have gone totally off left wing politics and the who is the biggest victim/ most oppressed as their voice should be heard loudest stuff.

The right wing does not close down debate about important topics because of 'feelings' and a need to create a 'safe space'. Left wing publications take a morally superior view so much - re Owen Jones...

I’ve really been enjoying my Times and Telegraph sub. The quality of writing and journalism is generally excellent, and whilst I don’t agree with everything there is more to agree with than I had originally thought. They sometimes feel like the last bastion of sense.

I still read the Guardian and New Statesman. But now I also read the FT, Times, Spectator, Economist and Private Eye. Between them all, I feel like I am getting a sense of what’s actually happening.

Increasingly I am of the view that none of them are actually good at covering issues of serious interest to women. The right is having a moment over TRA overreach, but mainly for its own reasons - as people here often say, the right wing believes women are private property, the left believe they are public property.

They don't seem to take themselves as seriously as left wing writers

So true. Owen Jones a case in point.

Also agree with Computer

Good on us, wide-readers outside our political convictions. Smug faces all around!

If only we only did as we are told, eh Wine? So much more likeable and woke that way.