Women's cycling - major sponsor pulls out as policies are not 'trans inclusive'

[Xoxoxoxoxoxox]

Helen joice has just put this up on twitter.
A new major sponsor is being sought to ensure that the 6th Women’s CiCLE Classic and 8th Junior Men’s edition of the race can go ahead as planned, following the decision of longstanding sponsor Pete Stanton to withdraw his sponsorship of the races...due to the decision to not include trans atheletes.

• A man tries to use his money to force women to accept transwomen in women's races.

I hadn't thought about the trans activism behind sponsorships deals that fund women's sport that must go on behind the scenes but here is an example laid bare. The men's races are not under threat just the women's races of course.

www.velouk.net/2022/04/12/news-sponsors-needed-for-womens-junior-cicle-classic/.

@elgreco

No interest in cycling at all but donated to fuck over the MAN.

Same! No interest in the sport, don't live in the UK but donated. Women around the world need to band together to stop these assaults on our rights.

I have caught up on this thread. What surprises me is that British Cycling couldn’t find £15K to plug the gap to keep the event on track this year. It must be a piddling sum compared the salaries and expense even of it’s exec. There is always some wriggle room in budgets and events like this are important for our elite female competitors. Disappointing but, sadly, not surprising. I’d be interested to know much money BC is spending on diversity initiatives this year and how those activities split across the EA2010 protected characteristics.

Donated!

@BettyFilous

I have caught up on this thread. What surprises me is that British Cycling couldn’t find £15K to plug the gap to keep the event on track this year. It must be a piddling sum compared the salaries and expense even of it’s exec. There is always some wriggle room in budgets and events like this are important for our elite female competitors. Disappointing but, sadly, not surprising. I’d be interested to know much money BC is spending on diversity initiatives this year and how those activities split across the EA2010 protected characteristics.

I believe the shortfall was around £25000 and British Cycling have offered £10000 to help the organisation plug the gap. The crowdfund is for the remaining amount needed.

Just donated. They are 80% there.

When and where will it be?

If it is anywhere near me, I would like to go along and support.

If you're donating to the crowdfunded in order to support the women's race, is part of your contribution going to fund the men's junior race as well?

If that is so, then the men's race (not junior) seems to be ring fenced from any sabotage to the women's event. Yet those who wish to support women's sports are forced teamed into supporting males sports as well; always diluting their contribution to women.

@Cailleach1 - just a note to that. Funding could be joint as sometimes junior and women’s races are run on the same day due to duration, so use the same race officials, marshalls, commissaries etc. you get a lot of those on Saturdays with the men’s race on Sundays.

Women’s races are usually shorter than mens ones - not because women are less capable, but for something as simple as toiletting. Men can (and do) just whip it out by the side of the road. It’s a lot harder for women, especially if they are wearing bib shorts, so race length is confined by how long it is realistic for them to race without needing the loo.

I believe the shortfall was around £25000 and British Cycling have offered £10000 to help the organisation plug the gap. The crowdfund is for the remaining amount needed.

Thanks for that info. I hadn't seen that elsewhere.

I've donated. Sex matters & fpfw have played it very well. The potential boycott that probably pushed BC to suspend the policy & the other campaigning from within the sport has shown BC how serious female cyclists are about this. (It's ridiculous that it came to that but there you are.) The proposal to fund from sex matters & fpfw, and the support they brought with them showed the organisers that there's financial support out there. They are right to go with a longer term sponsor, and I understand why they wouldn't want to be sponsored by a political campaign group. The press release was v positive & grateful about fpfw & sm, and name checked them, and the campaigners savvily were positive about the organisers decision, and part on friendly terms. The £15000 80% raised in a few days shows them they have nothing to fear without the silly man who pulled his sponsorship. Much gained.

@Cailleach1, the crowdfunding page seemed to be exclusively about the women's event, and did not on the face of it, mention the juniors. A bit sneaky? But personally I don't mind supporting the junior mens event as well, they don't deserve to lose their event just because of the last minute actions of the sponsor.

[quote SweatyChamoisPad]@Cailleach1 - just a note to that. Funding could be joint as sometimes junior and women’s races are run on the same day due to duration, so use the same race officials, marshalls, commissaries etc. you get a lot of those on Saturdays with the men’s race on Sundays.

Women’s races are usually shorter than mens ones - not because women are less capable, but for something as simple as toiletting. Men can (and do) just whip it out by the side of the road. It’s a lot harder for women, especially if they are wearing bib shorts, so race length is confined by how long it is realistic for them to race without needing the loo.[/quote]
This is so interesting, I had no idea and my husband is a huge cycling fan and didn't realise either. Thank you for sharing it.

So if someone in the women's race still had the necessary equipment that's another advantage in their favour, isn't it?

[quote SweatyChamoisPad]@Cailleach1 - just a note to that. Funding could be joint as sometimes junior and women’s races are run on the same day due to duration, so use the same race officials, marshalls, commissaries etc. you get a lot of those on Saturdays with the men’s race on Sundays.

Women’s races are usually shorter than mens ones - not because women are less capable, but for something as simple as toiletting. Men can (and do) just whip it out by the side of the road. It’s a lot harder for women, especially if they are wearing bib shorts, so race length is confined by how long it is realistic for them to race without needing the loo.[/quote]
Well, I did not know this (the loo thing.)

I was already wondering why no mention of the juniors so I now have that answered too.

How good is it that they'll hit their target!? So much sunlight courtesy of the own goal decision of one man. Part of me hopes the TRAs show up on the day so they keep the ball rolling and show everyone what they really think of women's sport.

That is interesting, Chamois. I am now wondering if the men's junior race is dependent on the crowdfund at all.

Did British Cycling pony up the 10K to cover the Men's Junior race (Marshalls, loos etc) and thus it would have gone ahead in any case? There would have been fewer cyclists and loos needed. Not so much a plug, as covering the junior men's race irrespective of what happens to the women's race.

Maybe it was only the women's race which British Cycling had decided should be dependent on the kindness of strangers. I wonder what funds British Cycling's 10K 'plug' came from. Would it have been government sports grants or lottery money?

It won't matter as people are donating to ensure the women's race can happen. Even if it is under fair competition rules for women. Imagine, fairness in sport; and, for women no less! No wonder that previous sponsor pulled out.

That’s a really good point re stopping - a pre-op trans woman could actually continue to pee whilst riding whereas a natal woman would have to stop. Peter Sagan complained about new neo pros pissing all over the riders. When to have a pee is usually dictated by the race leader.

Re BC plugging the gap, the £10k could possibly come from membership funds or money from race levies taken from other races. It’s non-profit making so all moneys go back into the sport.

Katie Archibald, who would have been racing against Emily Bridges in the National Omnium race, has released a statement standing up for womens sport. I had noticed she’d donated money to the crowdfund. I’m so pleased she’s been able to speak up like this. Will the cycling TRAs go for a genuine British cycling legend?

ps @MNHQ,your new look MN is not letting me upload a photo

This made me laugh from one of the signatories to the protest letter. Perhaps they could correct their use of cis in their post!
www.thenewforestoffroadclub.com/blog-1/kitlists-a6fht

[quote FemaleAndLearning]This made me laugh from one of the signatories to the protest letter. Perhaps they could correct their use of cis in their post!
www.thenewforestoffroadclub.com/blog-1/kitlists-a6fht[/quote]Their privileges will impact their limitations?? By implication that means they should be less limited ie more privileged?

Perhaps they got so wound up about writing a list that they forgot things like what the words meant in it.

These trans activists have been playing a very long game. Embedding themselves in positions of power and very slowly putting in place systems to silence and erase women.

88%

Indeed. We should never forget this as they will be back again in another few decades. And will keep coming back.

I've just donated!

I know that tone of voice. It's about being kind, but also about trying not to get attacked for actually saying something in the faux woke circles.

I have seen it a lot on online feminist sites over the past decade, usually mixed with others throwing around genetic guilt or transphobia accusations etc.

Ugh the grovelling debasement makes me feel sick 🤢 People who speak like that have usually been completely guilt tripped and manipulated by narcissists using a whole heap of projection and DARVO

Also to point out the obvious with cycling, males are not actually sitting on their genitals in the way women are!! Males bits lifts in and out of the way. That’s a huge advantage over women cyclists.