Laurel Hubbard to go to Tokyo

[Biscuitsanddoombar]

Not a surprise and hopefully it’ll open some eyes about the utter ridiculousness of allowing someone who is male to compete against women in weightlifting

www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/may/05/trans-weightlifter-laurel-hubbard-set-to-make-history-at-tokyo-olympics

The thing about cross sex hormones in sport is that we've seen it all before, and it was cheating.

Many Eastern Block female athletes who were doped (against their will) died prematurely. There is an excellent FILIA podcast with Sharron Davis talking about it.

They died because oestrogen really matters to female bodies - if we lose it before 45 then NICE want us to have HRT in order to protect us from coronary heart disease, dementia and osteoporosis.

Flo Jo was a tremendous athlete, and doped. Died at 38.

So, whilst, yes, Laurel's inclusion is an outrageous assault on women's sport, I think Laurel highlight's the lack of science supporting the use of cross sex hormones and that none of us would want to see harm done to the trans community through hashtag-be-kind.

fairplayforwomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/LBC_laurel-hubbard_210621.m4a

The silence on Instagram from big names with big following is blissfully silent on Laurel's qualifying.

Whilst it's a shame this isnt being used to highlight the problems, it is wonderful to think that they are staying silent because they do not agree with what is happening.

Hopefully someday soon, people will be able to discuss this matter in public without being threatened with being called transphobic or "cancelled".

Dan wooton comes across as very calm and likeable, much better than doing that celebrity stuff on Lorraine.

I do think that it’s the big name men (current and former) and the big name former female athletes who need to speak up. It’s too dangerous for the current female athletes.

Not an athlete, but high-profile actor Don Cheadle has just quote tweeted Ross Turner's Times column and asked 'for argument's sake' what happens if TW end up dominating women's sport. Mostly irritating replies so far but will see how it develops.

I'm really disappointed in Don Cheadle, I really didn't have him down as a misogynist.

I wonder if he comes from a similar school of misogyny as the likes of Owen Jones - where they don't actively hate women, but they do see women as nothing more than support humans for men, who always come first.

The idea that a woman has lost out to Laurel Hubbard, and that a woman might actually be upset and affected by that, just doesn't even occur to these men.

Actually from the way he's phrased it I think the effect on women is exactly what he's thinking about - it's the replies that are bollocks (to coin a phrase)

Well in a later tweet he refers to this issue as 'a mouse fart in a hurricane' so I don't think he is thinking of women that much!

Some of the pro Hubbard responses are so bizarre.

And all this shows there is absolutely nothing to stop any man reducing his testosterone for a year and completing against women. It's so ridiculous, I can barely contemplate people agreeing with it.

Well in a later tweet he refers to this issue as 'a mouse fart in a hurricane' so I don't think he is thinking of women that much!

Oh damn, just saw that. You're right – he doesn't give a toss

@Letsgetreadytocrumble

I'm really disappointed in Don Cheadle, I really didn't have him down as a misogynist.

I wonder if he comes from a similar school of misogyny as the likes of Owen Jones - where they don't actively hate women, but they do see women as nothing more than support humans for men, who always come first.

The idea that a woman has lost out to Laurel Hubbard, and that a woman might actually be upset and affected by that, just doesn't even occur to these men.

Unfortunately he is no fan to women. I remember a couple of years ago he posted a picture wearing a "protect trans kids" t-shirt. Because apparently encouraging children to believe their bodies are wrong and leading them down a path of medicalisation, self-loathing and infertility is his version of protection.

He quote tweeted a reply I made and also caused a huge pile on of blue haired incels who made it quite clear what a hateful bigot I was 🙄 can't watch the Marvels films with him in in quite the same way

An article in the guardian proper! (Not just the observer)

amp.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2021/jun/22/by-conflating-gender-and-sex-we-undermine-sporting-competition

The thing is that I don’t think the pro-lobby are going to listen to any pleas for fairness - they simply don’t see it as an issue. If someone believes that if you feel you are a woman then you are a woman then that’s the end of it really. It’s irrelevant whether one woman is 5’2 and 7 stone and the other 6’2 and 15 stone - they are just differently-sized women. If the big woman happened to have once been a man, that is also of no relevance as she now is a woman.

So appealing to someone’s better nature or sense of fair play is pointless.

@Letsgetreadytocrumble

I'm really disappointed in Don Cheadle, I really didn't have him down as a misogynist.

I wonder if he comes from a similar school of misogyny as the likes of Owen Jones - where they don't actively hate women, but they do see women as nothing more than support humans for men, who always come first.

The idea that a woman has lost out to Laurel Hubbard, and that a woman might actually be upset and affected by that, just doesn't even occur to these men.

Oh he's properly drunk on the Kool Aid, I went off him when he caused a pile on of a mother of a gender questioning child.

No proper interaction, no compassion. Anything but total affirmation (including medical intervention) is child abuse and literal violence.

I do wonder how these cheerleaders will fair when the shit hits the fan.

Cross posted @TheChild. I think I did respond to that at the time but I was so disgusted but his response to you. It was clear you were hurting and that your situation was very complex, his lack of understanding and simple refusal to see you side was just terrible. I'm sorry you had to go through that

@TheWeeDonkey

Cross posted *@TheChild*. I think I did respond to that at the time but I was so disgusted but his response to you. It was clear you were hurting and that your situation was very complex, his lack of understanding and simple refusal to see you side was just terrible. I'm sorry you had to go through that

That wasn't myself, I was one of many who he quote tweeted anf caused a pile on. How, as a father, he cannot see the harm in the trans ideology is beyond me. He is vile.

Well clearly that countries Olympic selection committee chose Laurel for that position on the team & if LH hadn’t been selected do you think she would be bleating constantly about it?
Let’s just see what happens without being vicious.

@OwningAllMyMistakes

Well clearly that countries Olympic selection committee chose Laurel for that position on the team & if LH hadn’t been selected do you think she would be bleating constantly about it? Let’s just see what happens without being vicious.

Would you advise that people take the same approach if they think they've witnessed unfair discrimination against someone at a job interviews based on their protected characteristic(s)?

Also...waiting and seeing what happens doesnt help the woman who has missed out on the chance to compete as an Olympian.

Sorry I haven't read the whole thread but just to say it's nice to see a few athletes speaking up.

Tessa Sanderson and Andy Turner.

And this response to a tweet by Alison Sydor is a classic...

@OwningAllMyMistakes

Well clearly that countries Olympic selection committee chose Laurel for that position on the team & if LH hadn’t been selected do you think she would be bleating constantly about it? Let’s just see what happens without being vicious.

Umm... It's by 'bleating constantly' in the ears of influential people that males were able to access female sports teams in the first place.

No country woke up one day and decided it would be jolly jape to include males in female sport. It's the result of the drip drip effect of lobbying over many decades.

@Signalbox

Sorry I haven't read the whole thread but just to say it's nice to see a few athletes speaking up.

Tessa Sanderson and Andy Turner.

And this response to a tweet by Alison Sydor is a classic...

Not directly relevant but I’m reminded of this which is too good not to share

Athletes and former athletes are peaking (or finally feeling brave enough to speak out) all over Twitter tonight. My latest count of newbies to speak out includes:

Tessa Sanderson (though I think she raised her head above the parapet a few years ago too)
Ellie Baker
James Guy
Kyle Langford
Mara Yamauchi

This is what Mara said to Sharron Davies