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

I’m very much in favour of a lot of media exposure for Hubbard.

I think a picture says a lot.

I don't know any serious sports people (I mean people who compete at a national/international level who think this is right or fair).

The fact that Hubbard is old, rich and white while the woman he's taken the place from is young, not rich and indigenous is shining a very bright light on the hypocrisy of the likes of idiots like Ash Sarker too.

Woman's Hour are discussing this now...

So, tonight’s BBC R4 Moral Maze Moral discussing trans inclusion in sport with Dafydd Mills Daniel, Joanna Harper, Debbie Hayton and Adam Wagner. That's 4 people born male; 2 transwomen and 2 men.

I’m sure the Scottish Government would see this as a “gender balanced panel”, but FGS where are the women?

So I guess that's the witnesses? There are 2 women on the panel according to this thread - Melanie Philips and Ash Sarkar.

I'm not convinced you're getting the best female representation here...

A transwoman athlete is talking to Emma Barnett. The athlete is not answering any of Emma's questions, just blustering and ignoring science. Emma is being a very incisive interviewer today.

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007qlvb/episodes/guide

I don’t think this will have a good outcome for Hubbard or the many, many trans people out there just trying to get on and live their lives.

Had there been opportunities for calm, respectful discussions on gender and trans issues instead of #nodebate the outcome could have been better for everyone.

I also agree with those who’ve said it wouldn’t have gone this far if it was impacting the serious business of male sport. Can you imagine the uproar if, instead of competing on the women’s teams, Hubbard was competing on the male team with a male/female points adjustment to reflect her new female identity. Let’s say the difference between the male record and female record added on to her scores for each event. After all, she has identical potential to a biological female now, so it would be perfectly fair.

@SoapboxFox

A transwoman athlete is talking to Emma Barnett. The athlete is not answering any of Emma's questions, just blustering and ignoring science. Emma is being a very incisive interviewer today.

That interviewee was Joanna Harper!

Emma Barnett was great at pointing out that the Emperor has no clothes.

@vivariumvivariumsvivaria

I think the next webinar Baroness Nicholson is holding is on sports. I assume Tanni Grey Thompson will be speaking, which will be worth listening to.

Baroness Grey Thompson was born with a disability. I would be interested to hear what she thinks about the concept of being "born in the wrong body" and as a paralympian I expect she also has some worthwhile insights into fairness in sport.

Tanni Grey-Thompson spoke out on the need for women-only toilets. She told of the extra difficulty disabled women have using these facilities (cubicles not having enough space for wheelchairs, for example, and therefore having to leave the door open) and how much more vulnerable that makes them. If she disagrees with this, she won't be stopped from speaking her mind.

So Women’s Hour invited Emma Hilton to take part and then didn’t call her, despite her being sat by the phone waiting to be interviewed?

Ekofisk

Maybe Emma Barrett talked to Harper longer than expected. Harper clearly struggled to answer towards the end. The complete bonkersness of even Harper having significant doubts about the fairness of Hubbards inclusion was very obvious.

A shame, Dr Hilton would have been awesome as usual.

Possibly, Harper was busy shooting themselves in the foot every step of the way. But would have been good for WH to bring Hilton into the debate.

Oh, just seen that there’s a separate thread on this too (finding MN glitchy on my phone after the FWR topic was split).

@Sophoclesthefox

I’m very much in favour of a lot of media exposure for Hubbard.

I think a picture says a lot.

Yes. This picture shows that Hubbard's hip alignment is not female which would of course affect balance and stance and leverage.

I think that picture shows a lot…,

We need strongly worded open letters to the BBC, etc. signed by women. Is FPFW already doing a letter we can sign and share? Having a panel about women's sports without a single female-born panelist is disgusting and disgraceful.

Yes, that’s what I saw too, Helleofabore. I’m also wondering how exactly a transition in your thirties shortens a persons wingspan, which is an important factor in the snatch element in particular. longer arms= more force generated = more snap in the snatch. People born male tend to have longer arms.

Sophoclesthefox

I'm hoping that the sheer arrogance of that certain faction (avoiding the letters as will probably get post deleted) and the fact that they think SM is the real world will cause the world to peak trans once the olympics get underway.

sad to say that IMHO there will be more outrage because its to do with sport but if the end result is that the general public finally gets a full picture of what is going on then thats fine by me.

www.outkick.com/transgender-bmx-rider-for-team-usa-vowed-to-burn-flag-on-podium/

Wingspan?

That’s for what are commonly known as birds no?

Ah wait…

You can see how language could be confusing.

Just as well my eyes work.

@Sophoclesthefox

I’m very much in favour of a lot of media exposure for Hubbard.

I think a picture says a lot.

It speaks volumes.

Wonder if there’s a supplement I could buy to get more snap in my snatch

I recall I posted a similar photo of another transgender athlete (CeCe Telfer) and the post was deleted, despite the fact that it was from a very pro Telfer article.

I guess as the photo is in the Times, we don't have to pretend that Hubbard doesn't have obviously male genitalia.

@TheHandmadeTails

Wonder if there’s a supplement I could buy to get more snap in my snatch

I did get the picture from The Times, so I can’t see why it should not be suitable for here.