Why is Harrop suddenly being measured on Twitter?

[flakeitoff]

(I followed him a little while ago when the GMC thread was started here and he's still on my Twitter)

"Although I am someone who is neither an athlete nor a sports scientist, I can appreciate that there is a need to take a fair, evidence-based and rational approach re: the inclusion of transgender and non-binary individuals in sports, particularly at the elite level ...

... there is a need to ensure that sporting competition is as open and as inclusive as possible, for all athletes of all backgrounds, and an understandable desire to see that competitive sports of all types are organised in a fair and safe way ...

... however, what I see is people opportunistically + irresponsibly using this issue to invalidate and delegitimise the womanhood of trans women, dismissing established facts + evidence, + ignoring decades of successful trans inclusion in sports at the highest levels ...

... and obviously, whilst not at all of the concerns and points raised thus far are driven by transphobia, it is clear that many are. This is simultaneously both disappointing and unsurprising, given the current climate in public discourse ...

... as an unqualified commentator, my personal take on the matter is almost entirely immaterial; but, what I do believe is that these matters ought to be handled on a sport-by-sport + case-by-case basis, by the relevant regulatory body, with a focus on fairness + safety for all."

Since when was Harrop interested in fairness and safety for all?!

Since he realised the GMC were watching him..

It looks like he's had a shock. He says it's because he found a lot of abusive tweets when he got back from NZ, but I don't buy that. He was always in the middle of controversy. I think someone official has had a word with him and told him his job is in danger if he doesn't rein himself in.

He still doesn’t give a stuff about it being fair for women.

delegitimise the womanhood of trans women

If he wants to uphold fairness, why is he not working to ensure that transmen are represented in elite male sport?

He seems preoccupied with the rights of male transpeople at the expense of female people.

Misogynist is the word that comes to mind.

So Harrop’s view that “trans women are women” is equivocal after all...

He's obviously been read the riot act by the GMC.

Plus on a deeper level, I believe there is a certain type of person who cannot and never will fully accept that men can dress in the 'opposite sex' (I'm deliberately not using the word gender). They cannot fathom that males can do this without censure or hatred. So they put those men as women. Inverse homophobia.

I wonder if it's because as a medical doctor he'd make himself look even more ridiculous than usual if he pretended that there is no difference between male and female physiology (even in his trouncing from Posie he conceded that male and female means something for medical purposes). So he's tiptoeing around the issue in the most 'trans friendly' way he can without further career suicide.

Why isn't he (or anyone else, really) arguing for the inclusion of transwomen in men's sport? That would really be diverse and inclusive.

Why do you think? He’s under investigation. Honestly think we should stop talking about him until the investigation concludes.

I thought that his hearing was scheduled for 6 March - I wonder what the outcome was

Can't reverse ferret now, dear. The horse bolted long since.

I wonder if it's because as a medical doctor he'd make himself look even more ridiculous than usual if he pretended that there is no difference between male and female physiology

That might well be the simple truth. Up until now, his TWAW has been defensible as speaking about social convention. I think many medical professionals would take issue if made statements like RMk.

Honestly think we should stop talking about him until the investigation concludes.

I agree

Since he realised the GMC were watching him

He's known they're watching them for ages, he was too arrogant to stop bullying women.

What's changed, I suspect, is that the GMC have spelled out to him in no uncertain terms that he risks losing the chance to ever qualify as a doctor if he doesn't STFU.

Perhaps he’s seen that the tide is turning - only a fraction of the general public believe that TWAW in the way that the TRAs mean (like me 6 months ago, they assume it is talking about a social convention of using preferred pronouns etc). The sports thing has really blown wide open that they mean it literally - perhaps he thinks if he’s measured on the sports thing and if not too many people notice Rachel M (not likely given the continued media exposure that RM is getting), it will all blow over and he can get back to undermining women’s sex based rights in other areas.

Of course, he’s wrong - because now the sunlight is shining on this issue, the whole house of cards will inevitably come falling down.

He’s grounded, innit.

India's jumped ship as well with regards to the sports thing. I think it's a bridge too far it is really ridiculous and nobody can possibly defend it and if you want to still be considered as a sane person then I don't think you can defend trans women competing against biological females in sports

The investigation will be concluding very soon now. I really do think it would be a good idea to not discuss this any further for the time being.

I’m probably stupid but why does discussing it here affect the investigation?

I thought he said he was done with talking about these issues in Twitter?
McTufty it was mentioned on the last thread that he could try to use discussion of him as evidence that he was being unreasonably harassed.

I think his Mum has seized his phone and is posting something more sensible in his name in the hope of reducing the damage to his career.

Wow. Since when did he identify as an unqualified commentator?

Thanks nosering