Sonia O'Sullivan "Transgender athletes cannot be allowed to compete in women's sport"

[OstrichFeathers]

I've always been a big fan of Sonia O'Sullivan, she seems a knowledgeable, kind and fun person. I'm delighted to see her coming out firmly here. She has skirted around it a bit before, so it's good to see her so decisive.

www.irishtimes.com/sport/other-sports/sonia-o-sullivan-transgender-athletes-cannot-be-allowed-to-compete-in-women-s-sport-1.4834586

"This is what happens when you go from a straight-forward rule to making allowances and exceptions."

Worse. This is what happens when you carry a wrong hypothesis to its logical conclusion, like substituting wrong numbers for x & y, and solving the equation to get 4=5.

www.sundayworld.com/news/irish-news/sonia-osullivan-sparks-controversy-after-saying-transgender-athletes-have-unfair-advantage-41486632.html

Apparently Sonia has sparked controversy by pointing out transwomen athletes cause a problem in women's sport

In other news a small boy has sparked controversy by claiming the emperor has no clothes

The people "sparking controversy" here are the ones permitting males in female sports.

Sonia O'Sullivan was interviewed on Newstalk's Hard Shoulder programme yesterday - link / article with audio.

I watched Sonia race in a half marathon once. She ran up to and across that finish line like a bloody rocket. I've never forgotten it.

She is a wonderful, knowledgeable, ethical, and elite female athlete with decades of experience behind her.

Loved Sonia as a child, delighted she’s standing up for the rights of women as an adult. Thank you Sonia!

Sharron Davies is being very vocal about it all as well on Twitter. It's very refreshing to see. I just hope more sportspeople start to speak out

Sharron Davies is so rightly passionate and clear about the impact to women being pushed aside by men. She's amazing, must get so much hate mail yet her drive continues. Reading her posts and liking her on Twitter cheers me up when I see the 'pretty' filtered photos of Will Thomas and hear he's now reported to be 5ft8 not his real 6ft2 to try to normalise what he's doing - cheating.

Sonia O'Sullivan's article has prompted more mainstream coverage in Ireland of male athletes in women's sports:

Newstalk Lunchtime Live:
'The idea that trans athletes are taking over sport is not true' with Joanna Harper
Powerlifter calls for 'a separate category' for trans athletes with Rehana Manier (partial transcript)

Newstalk Hard Shoulder:
'A societal thing rather than a sport thing' with Sara Phillips from TENI (partial transcript)

RTÉ Radio 1 This Week:
Transgender athletes in elite sports with former olympian Gillian O'Sullivan, sports scientist Niall Moyna and Sara Phillips from TENI

The This Week item was very good, especially Niall Moyna's unequivocal statement of facts

@EarringsandLipstick

The This Week item was very good, especially Niall Moyna's unequivocal statement of facts

That was a very good listen. And a very middle of the road audience who may have never heard anything of these discussions before.

@OstrichFeathers that is so true. I know sports mad people who are quite unaware of this. I would take someone like Sonia to even get it on the radar.

Just listened to Sara Phillips and I am so cross. Utter hypocrite. Compares black women being able to compete against white women being a similar case to trans women competing against women.

WTF! Black women and white women are women. TWATW.

As in men!

Sonia is utterly iconic and a household name throughout Ireland. This is bloody brilliant.

@Drinkingallthewine

Sonia is utterly iconic and a household name throughout Ireland. This is bloody brilliant.

Our greatest ever sports person of either sex. She knows all about cheating too. Was robbed of the gold in Barcelona by 3 Chinese girls who were never heard of again.

I really hope this sparks some soul searching in Ireland, as the silence has been deafening in the media generally about these issues up until this point.
Unfortunately, women's prisons, refuges etc. aren't really on people's (men's) radar, so they don't give a shit. Whoever said on this site that it would be sport that would peak people was right, the unfairness is so obvious.

Aoife Martin piece on The Journal yesterday: 'Those who wouldn't cross the road for women's sport are now upset by trans women in sport'

Quite disingenuous as expected. No one opposes transpeople participating in sport, they oppose trans males in female sports. And pushing in in the manner they are requires an appropriate pushback and proper re-examination of the issues.

Unfortunately, women's prisons, refuges etc. aren't really on people's (men's) radar, so they don't give a shit. Whoever said on this site that it would be sport that would peak people was right, the unfairness is so obvious.

Sport is bringing the subject to light in a way that can't be easily hidden. Politicians, the authorities and the media in Ireland have been effectively suppressing the fact that there are at least two males in Limerick Women's Prison, for example. And at least some men do care about that; many women, including our current Minister for Justice, really do not.

I drove past Limerick jail during the week, and commented how sad it was that there were 2 transwomen there.
None of the 3 with whom I was travelling knew the story.

@FionaMacCool

I drove past Limerick jail during the week, and commented how sad it was that there were 2 transwomen there. None of the 3 with whom I was travelling knew the story.

I thought it was 3 sex offenders in Limerick? Or are there others in Dublin?

Good for her!

@Abhannmor you may be right- I know of BK + one other.

I thought it was three in Limerick too, but can only think of two as well, Fiona.

I saw Joanne O'Riordan had an alternative opinion piece during the week.

Link to the Joanne O'Riordan piece: www.irishtimes.com/sport/other-sports/if-you-want-to-protect-women-s-sport-great-but-don-t-disregard-entire-transgender-community-1.4840236

Contains much emotive hyperbole.

Yes, Ostrich, I was disappointed to see Joanne's piece. I know she doesn't like being a poster girl for inspiration- but the fact is that her words carry weight.

Sorry Joanne,

Woman=/= detestosteronised man