Martina Navratilova to front BBC1 transgender athletes doc

[EweSurname]

I knew she was making a documentary but I didn't know it was for the BBC. Bit wary now of what she'll be allowed to say.

www.broadcastnow.co.uk/broadcasting/navratilova-to-front-bbc1-transgender-athletes-doc/5139862.article#.XOav7YCjPkg.twitter

The tennis star and gay rights campaigner is to front Brook Lapping’s 60-minute doc Trans Athletes: A Fair Playing Field?, which will air next month.

In February, Navratilova was roundly criticised by trans and equality activists for stating that allowing transgender women to compete in women’s sporting tournaments was “insane and cheating”. She subsequently said she would do more research on the matter.

For the doc, Navratilova will speak with the athletes, scientists and sporting officials at the forefront of the debate, including former Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies, who said in March that transgender athletes could “ruin women’s sport”.

She will also meet trans medical physicist and former runner Joanna Harper, who will explain how her run times dropped by more than 10% following her transition.

I wasn't expecting a whole lot from this considering it's the BBC, even with Martina's involvement.

From the above article it sounds a lot like 'women you are going to be shoved aside so get used to it'.

Well hopefully it will peak a lot of people regardless. Most people get fairness in sport, if nothing else.

"I don't think women's sport will look the same in 10 years' time," he explains.

What the fuck?

Why not? Why can't it look the same? Why these people just fuck off and leave women alone, argh!!!

'She will also meet trans medical physicist and former runner Joanna Harper, who will explain how her run times dropped by more than 10% following her transition.'

'"I don't think women's sport will look the same in 10 years' time," he explains.'

Sounds like she's in for a whole lotta.
' splaining

Eliis Cashmore is a tool. Surely if he says that on TV, a lot of people are going to be "WTAF???"

BBC. sorry but I'm not expecting anything positive. Unlikely I'll watch.

Weakened man =/= woman

How utterly offensive.

Mixed sports all round? Just blokes then. Prog will feature man explaining to female sportswoman why this is good.

My best hope for this is that Martina actually pushes back against some of the propaganda rather than just listen and nod. She doesn't strike me as a polite nodding type but who knows with the BBC commissioning this.

Off topic but what is the I in the alphabet soup?

Oh God I can't watch. How can they have that bloke on? Everyone without exception thought he was an idiot last time he was on. Even India Willoughby FFS

Intersex

In what fuckwit universe does being intersex have anything to do with being gay?
Is it me or us this stuff fucking nuts?

"What I have come to realise, the biggest thing for me, is just the level of difficulty trans people go through cannot be underestimated," she says.

"The fight for equality and recognition is just huge."

She tells Trans Media Watch founder Helen Belcher: "I hurt people with my comments - that bothers me. I campaigned all my life for LGBT rights."

Later she adds: "That being said, still for me the most important thing in sports - and we have to remember trans rights and elite sport are two different things, although of course they are connected - what's the right way to set the rules so that everybody feels like they have a fighting chance?"

As well as hearing the experiences of trans athletes, she explores the science to find out whether trans athletes have a competitive advantage in women's sport.

"It feels to me that it's impossible to come to any real conclusions or write any meaningful rules until more research is done," she says.

"But for now I think we need to include as many transgender athletes as possible within elite sports while keeping as level a playing field as possible."

We're fucked

Oh God I can't watch. How can they have that bloke on? Everyone without exception thought he was an idiot last time he was on. Even India Willoughby FFS

Maybe it will work out in a Louis Theroux type way with everyone watching wondering how the fuck some people think this way.

How can she conclude that after everything she has said previously on twitter? Is this just a vehicle to offer a mea culpa after finding herself 'on the list'?

People are critical of the BBC but there was that radio programme about this the other day (Mark Lawson wrote it) and it was very GC about TW in sport.

Stand aside and know your place.

Sociologist Ellis Cashmore tells Navratilova sport will have to change

The fucking outrageous arrogance of this prize spanner. Martina Navratilova changed sport beyond recognition. At a time when being female and gay and a sports champion NEVER even appeared in the same sentence let alone in the media. She is a pioneer, a flaming bloody meteor, she smashed change in sport out of the fucking park.

Fool.

So do we all have to vote for Trump until this bullshit is put back in its box.

Misogyny doesn't go back into its box, least of all with Trump involved.

the level of difficulty trans people go through cannot be underestimated

I am so tired with this being trotted out as the central reason trans people should get whatever they want as some kind of consolation prize from society, and women should hand over their rights as something between an oh bless/duty/renumeration kind of deal.

Fuck that.

MANY groups in society have a difficult time, it could easily be argued that many suffer FAR more, and no other group has ever fought for equality before in history on grounds of one massive pity party demanding to be mummied.

And even if they WERE the most deprived, pitiable, suffering people ever, it still would not make it right to deprive women of equal rights to try and cheer them up a bit.

I'd bet a fair amount that if male sport and male athletes were being negatively affected in this way that whole 'well you'll just have to accept it' attitude that keeps being put out there would evaporate pdq

Sociologist Ellis Cashmore tells Navratilova sport will have to change

Yes - there will be two classes of men’s sport.

I have hope about this as Sharron Davis is in it!