British Cycling doubles down

[Bananarama101]

So it seems British Cycling new policy of inclusion can't actually be questioned or the fairness of just lowering testosterone to 'level' competition. They have the ability to limit or even seemingly fine members.

4w.pub/british-cycling-trans-policy/

Is anyone surprised? The only way of enforcing cheating, male supremacy and removing women's rights to fairness (and privacy from males while undressed) is by using threats. Decent people won't accept it unless they've been threatened like this.

Totalitarianism. Remove people's right to protest. It's the only way they can cling on to their reality that men don't have a physical advantage over women.

They're going to fine members that post negatively about this policy on social media?! What fresh hell is this?

Be interesting to see how there are going to police this. It’s almost like they’ve not thought it through..,

God, I wish they'd all do it at once: 'I'm Spartacus!"

There ought to be a special day ‘Screw You BC’ when anyone who think is this is nonsense says exactly what they think.

I can't see how this is legal, they are discriminating against members based on 2 protected characteristics. Plus we already have sports as a sex affected activity. If they don't think sex matters in their sport, why do they have sex cateories?

Speaking of cycling, yesterday I posted on a transgender thread on a cycling forum, which is the sort of place I tend to hang out when I'm not here or out on my bike. It didn't go over too well – my post was deleted. Here's a copy: www.notanothercyclingforum.net/index.php?topic=4445.0

I've been educating myself thanks to the women on this board (and its predecessor) for a few years now, and I guess it shows. Thanks everyone. Keep up the good work.

''killfile''?!? WTAF. Is that for when blocking or muting doesn't express their rage towards you strongly enough?

Yeah, usually you're just put on ignore (something I've never done in decades on forums, because I don't wish to live in a bubble of people who only agree with me). Killfile does seem a bit strong, but sadly in character with a certain type.

I’m appalled at this from BC. Not surprised sadly. I’m unwell and unable to do anything more right now but register my outrage 😡😡😡

I really want to help women cyclists stand up to this

Worth posting this again

Loads of anger on this from mums of daughters who will be the ones that suffer

BC. Don’t care about women or girl cyclists

Pushing these decisions back onto individual sporting bodies to make policies was always going to cause problems. Women’s competitive sport is becoming a mess.

It worth pointing out that these policies don’t just affect competitive sport. They affect recreational sport/activity. It’s well know that to increase female participation sports have to offer women only activities - why? Because predominantly male mixed sex sports/clubs/classes can be offputting for some women.
So in some sports there are now mens, mixed and womens but all defined by gender not sex. In reality this means they are all mixed sex and women will lose out because they’ll self-exclude.

[quote Bananarama101]So it seems British Cycling new policy of inclusion can't actually be questioned or the fairness of just lowering testosterone to 'level' competition. They have the ability to limit or even seemingly fine members.

4w.pub/british-cycling-trans-policy/[/quote]
This is just horrifying in it's misogyny. It was huge mistake to pass the buck to individual clubs and expect these boys networks to act in the interest of women and girls. I expect British Cycling would be happy if all females just fucked off and left the men to it.

As for fining people (women, it's always women) for wrong think or pointing out the realities of biology and sex in sport I just have no words.

This is the twitter thread where the sexist twats announced it.

twitter.com/BritishCycling/status/1486686437605060613

Sounds as though they have forgotten the rest of their legal obligations in their rush to include men in women's categories...

female professional sportswomen give up lucrative careers, leave education early, move away from friends and family in order to train and compete, train full time often 7 days a week, delay or even give up their chance of motherhood etc. Do BC expect them to keep doing this while knowing there is a 10% performance gap and that this new group don’t face any of the same challenges in terms of periods and fertility.

twitter.com/sharrond62/status/1488883731368755200?t=nuASyCrsSBi756YgZwihRA&s=19

Sharron Davies tweeted this earlier today.

Sharon’s tweet contains a link to a quick survey.

It enrages me that anyone thinks this is ok but I take some comfort from the backlash that British Cycling are going to get when the public see what they are up to.

What powers does a membership organisation have to fine people at all, let alone to fine people for publishing unapproved opinions? If you join a cycling org (or any interest group) you dont assume you have agreed to agree with all their future opinions on political issues or all of their beliefs. How can you predict what a cycling org's opinions will be? It's the sum of its members. This seems to be belief discrimination. And it's authoritarian of them to stop members from criticising a policy. What if all membership orgs did that? National trust members not allowed to criticise the cost of the cream treas? Ok that's a trivial one, but im sure there's some farming practices and tenancy practices which members should be able to critique. They have set a policy in stone for ever by preventing any criticism of it. Terrible precedent.

I don't think this is proportionate at all. How can this be challenged legally? How can the whole policy be challenged? It discriminates against women.

Any legal MNers out there who could take a look?

Ridiculous. So many barriers already to girls and women cycling. This discriminates against and makes matters even worse for all, and especially the determined few with sufficient talent, resourced and determination to persist to get to compete!

The wants and feelings of a small minority of biological men should not be prioritised over fairness and improving access to sport for biological girls and women.