1976 video of Renee Richards interview

[andyoldlabour]

I found this video whilst perusing another well known source of information. It is about former tennis player Renee Richards and it clearly shows the reluctance of Ricahrds to take any tests, and also the entitlement which Richards displays with regard to competing in the women's category.

That's interesting. The logic hasn't moved on much.

That is interesting. The arguments haven’t changed at all! “Well, you have women who are tall and strong, therefore there’s no issue with male bodies in women’s sports. I don’t think I have an advantage, so there’s no need for further debate, you’re just being mean”.

Am I correct in thinking that Richards’ view on this changed to believing that women’s sports needs to be a protected class?

It was interesting to see an older language being used - no references to 'gender'.

But I understand Renee has and now thinks it unfair (after they stopped competing)

From Richards's wiki page:

Richards has since expressed ambivalence about her legacy, and came to believe her past as a man provided her with advantages over her competitors, saying "Having lived for the past 30 years, I know if I'd had surgery at the age of 22, and then at 24 went on the tour, no genetic woman in the world would have been able to come close to me. And so I've reconsidered my opinion.

(Richards was 40, 41 years old at the time of the surgery, I think, so already a tennis veteran - although still obviously able to beat many top women players after this mid-life transition.)

Maybe Martina had some influence. They were close.

Interesting find andyoldlabour So Richards was an amateur player in his 40s who, in a year, graduated to the professional circuit. Of course he had an advantage. There's no way a woman in her 40s could have achieved the same.

Apparently by the time Richards turned tennis pro, a pretty full life had been enjoyed. High school elite sports, college tennis, medical school, joined the navy, played navy tennis (and was US navy men's champion), marriage and child, divorce, surgical transition.

The term gender is used, including 'gender identity' and 'gender confusion' but Richards uses 'sexuality' to describe transsexualism. Richards was 'dressing' frequently throughout university and got hormone injections but decided against genital surgery a few years before marrying the model Barbara Mole and having a son. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ren%C3%A9e_Richards.

Richards didn't disclose being transsexual when entering women's tennis tournaments, this was revealed by a journalist so all players were required to have tests to make sure they are female. Richards eventually did the chromosome test and was banned due to it. Then sued and a male judge overruled the ban. Richards then won against women many times. Richards was also a top player when playing men's tennis. httpss://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/01/garden/01renee.html

The term gender is used, including 'gender identity' and 'gender confusion' but Richards uses 'sexuality' to describe transsexualism

Was it? I didn't get to the end of it because I was so irritated.

"so all players were required to have tests to make sure they are female" .. as women did in the Olympics. There were also internal gyne tests. I've heard it said that sometimes the older women athletes had to break it to the younger women that they were about to be violated (which is how I see it) - but it was just accepted as 'how it is' because women's bodies are public and violation is expected as normal.

It used to be a trivial pursuit question: who was the only athlete in the ‘76 Olympic Games not to be sex tested?

Answer in next post.

Princess Anne

I never knew that!

I found a lot of similarities between Richards and McKinnon in that video, maybe not the outright aggression which McKinnon often exhibits, but certainly the sense of entitlement and the mention of "human rights".
Richards supposedly now thinks that they did have an advantage over the women they played, but that is OK because they are now retired, so it doesn't matter any more, just like Billie Jean King who sees nothing wrong with transwomen competing against women, or Megan Rapinhoe, whose career is drawing to a close.

m.youtube.com/watch?v=1CqgiEKih5c

Full length documentary here by ESPN that gets shown on BT Sport quite often. It goes into quite some detail over the controversy caused by Renee's refusal to be blood tested and the damage it caused to women's tennis at the time. Many of the major tennis players of the time are interviewed and are free with their opinions (for and against) - a massive difference to today's cowardice from those in public life. Renee goes back on her original views at the end.