Telegraph Exclusive: Cyclists not speaking out about Emily Bridges 'for fear of being cancelled like JK Rowling'

[ResisterRex]

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www.telegraph.co.uk/cycling/2022/04/09/exclusive-cyclists-not-speaking-emily-bridges-fear-cancelled/

The letter has now been signed by more than 650 people, including numerous Olympians and world champions, British Cycling’s Olympic and Paralympic programme lead, the parents of current riders and sporting figures beyond cycling such as Martina Navratilova and Daley Thompson.
The letter says that women’s riders were ready to boycott last week’s national track cycling championships after the Welsh transgender cyclist Emily Bridges had her entry accepted, even though none of the riders have publicly explained why they felt so strongly on the issue.
Blower-Porter told Telegraph Sport that “because of sponsorship they are muted” and outlined their fears over a potential backlash. “Look at JK Rowling,” she said."

And the financial difficulties for women are here too:

"A survey last year by The Cyclists' Alliance starkly demonstrated the financial challenges that are routinely faced by women’s cyclists and the importance of their existing sponsors.
The number of women in the professional peloton that are not paid a salary as part of second-tier team contracts actually increased from 17 per cent in 2018 to 34 per cent in 2021.
More than a third of ‘professional’ riders also had a second job alongside their cycling career."

It's an absolute gobsmacking travesty that women have been forced into this position in the first place.

And people say there's no such thing as male privilege ...

This stuff really is shocking. Can you imagine how huge of a scandal it would be if sponsors and media and coaches were pressuring world class cyclists to shut up about Lance Armstrong using performance enhancing drugs to win world championships?

It must be so awful to be one of those women, many of whom are effectively working two jobs just to compete. And now someone is showing up who is definitely going to beat them, and they aren't even allowed to complain.

It seems to be an oft-repeated pattern. No matter the industry. The older ones (retired in their sport, in this case) are the ones who are more able to talk.

This is why it is wrong to say it's an old vs young thing or to waft it away as just generational differences. It is not.

The only difference is how much more clout or cash you might have, to be able to speak out.

“Look at JK Rowling,” she said."

Wow, almost as if the very public and brutal aggression towards women speaking out is intended to keep others quiet...

See this is what boils my piss about this. Running through the ideology like a stick of rock.

The TRAs and supporters absolutely insist that is it super hard to define what a woman is. Anyone who says they are one can be one. It’s all so hard to tell using biology … burble burble clownfish.

Except

They all fucking know fine well who gets abused, cancelled and silenced. Can’t identify out of that can we now.

@PrelateChuckles

“Look at JK Rowling,” she said."

Wow, almost as if the very public and brutal aggression towards women speaking out is intended to keep others quiet...

Bingo!

She's a brave woman, is Joanne. Sounds like the cyclists were going to be brave too, and boycott.

The Telegraph has been making lots more people aware of the issues who weren't before. Like my mum, who said to me the other day "have you heard about this swimmer?"

Well done to all those woman cyclists for making their views clear about cheating. It's great that finally a sporting body has had to recognise that in following the demands of the lobby groups they've instituted an unfair policy using intimidation to silence women.
Hopefully the press are now all over this and countless sporting governing bodies are going to have to roll back on their threats to women elite athletes before being outed in the press.

how huge of a scandal it would be if sponsors and media and coaches were pressuring world class cyclists to shut up about Lance Armstrong using performance enhancing drugs

That is pretty much what happened.

A survey last year by The Cyclists' Alliance starkly demonstrated the financial challenges that are routinely faced by women’s cyclists and the importance of their existing sponsors

Yet Emily has been promised lottery funding should Emily somehow overcome the ruling, up to 27,000 a year plus expenses:

www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/apr/07/transgender-cyclist-emily-bridges-in-line-for-lottery-funding-if-allowed-to-compete

So who are these sponsors and how do we target them to ensure that they aren't complicit in the silencing of women?

This interesting and not many people will know it. I think 1984 was the first time women were allowed to run in marathons in the Olympics. 1984! Has took long for men to want to kick women out again.
"Maria Blower-Porter, who represented Great Britain when women’s cyclists were first permitted in the Olympic Games in 1984, has been among those gathering support for a letter urging world cycling’s governing body to immediately rescind its rules."

hasn't

Also look at the history of how women were banned from football.

Yes 02:35 Peregrina the history of women's football is quite fascinating. A true case of "pure" (if that's the right word) oppression of women, by men.

They basically looked at these brilliant women, the huge crowds and support following they had earned, and said "nope your not doing that" in 1921!
Women's football has only just started to recover.

Now the men at the FA are going to start letting men play women's football too (probably)....

The tide is definitely turning, in this country at least. So women's football in the UK could still be saved from the madness.

As for cycling, it's looking better for our women here at home, we urgently need other countries to catch up.

It's an entirely realistic apprehension.

It has taken almost a century for some sports to have women's competitions in the Olympics: it's been a relative handful of years for the Olympic Committees to effectively take them away at the first request from The Sacred Caste.

@SidewaysOtter

So who are these sponsors and how do we target them to ensure that they aren't complicit in the silencing of women?

It comes from the lottery, through Sport England, Wales, Scotland, through sports governing bodies.

There are other sources, individuals, organisations, banks etc. Each event has its own, each sport has its own.

They are usually really easy to identify as they have their logo prominently placed.

I've seen people disagree with JK Rowling but how is she "silenced"? She has a Twitter with 14M followers and is frequently mentioned in the Daily Mail.

@MargaritaPie

I've seen people disagree with JK Rowling but how is she "silenced"? She has a Twitter with 14M followers and is frequently mentioned in the Daily Mail.

There's a thread in which posters have pointed out your misreading of a link you gave to the complete inversion of your interpretation.

Similarly, there have been many occasions when you've asked similar questions and read responses. It's plausibly a similar failing of understanding if you're affecting not comprehend what it means for a creator to have people attempt to erase her from her role in that creation.

Hi Marg

And you know the answer to that. It isn't the succeeding that is the point, it's the attempt to deny someone a voice, the deliberate and sustained misrepresentation, the undermining, belittling and outright lying.

In law often known as slander and libel.

So if we play the lottery we support cheaters like "Emily"? Well, isn't that just special?

Has Marg honestly missed all the rape, violence and death threats, and unwanted photos of transwomen's erections (and other random bloke's erections) that are sent to JKR's public Twitter account? That are all sent by the folks that Marg supports?

Marg expects us to believe that because JKR's Twitter account is still there and it hasn't been taken down, that means it's safe for women to defend women's rights? That we aren't being silenced or forced into a climate of fear for speaking up for women's rights?

Righty-ho.

The abuse JKR has received is there for all to see because for some reason Twitter states it "doesn't break talk guidelines".
...So women looking at that are going to be really comfortable defending their rights aren't they.

The quote "look at JKR" is extremely pertinent and explains succinctly why women are afraid and silenced by people who want to destroy our rights.
People that Marg supports.

Just ignore PIE , a troll.

Oh! Marg isn't just a troll. Marg is an ever present opportunity to examine the deficiency in many of the TRA/MRA positions about what women can be 'allowed' to do, say or even think.

A gift that persists in giving...

@SamphirethePogoingStickerist

Oh! Marg isn't just a troll. Marg is an ever present opportunity to examine the deficiency in many of the TRA/MRA positions about what women can be 'allowed' to do, say or even think.

A gift that persists in giving...

Perhaps so, but the last three letters of that user handle have shown me everything I need to see.

All credit to those on this site who are far more patient than I am, but I shan't be engaging.