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/.

I heard there was news of a boycott by the female competitors anyway. No use sponsoring a race, if no-one's racing!

@ControversialOpening

Stanton's twitter is a sight to see :)

I'm really happy to see so many women saying they will contribute to keep this going. As SweatyChamoisPad (great name!) said earlier the difference in funding between women's and men's races is shocking.

... however, this is at least in part because so much more interest is shown in men's cycling. Men (predictably) prefer men's races, and not many women are interested in the women's.
The best way to get P-R and other women's races to an equal level with the men's is to watch it, and encourage other women and men to watch it. If women show no interest in women's sport - and are not prepared to show this financially - it will never be equal.

Of course as women's sport becomes more financially attractive we will see more men suddenly realise they are trans to earn a few quid and some tainted glory, but that's another issue.

Some really good points in this post @ControversialOpening.

Cycling sponsorship is driven a lot by broadcast coverage. It's pretty expensive to cover a bike race; outriders, chopper footage etc, and to then have to do it twice - one for the men's race, one for the women's. The broadcasters say there is no demand for women's footage, so won't pay for it, the sponsors won't sponsor because they won't get the exposure, and the races don't go ahead because there is nobody to pay for things like insurance. You also can't sell tickets for road races so there's no income stream from that direction. Girls end up not going into cycling because there aren't enough races to compete in.

Women's cycling needs to be subsidised - by the broadcasters, the men's teams, the men's sponsors, the governing bodies, etc. Not forever, just until it gets demand, and can wash it's own face.

Inclusive sports in the Eye

@ScholesPanda

I think this guy is wrong in his opinions and would happily donate to a crowdfunder. Hope a link to one is posted here. Don't think it's blackmail though sorry, it's his money and he can spend it on what he likes. As a PP says 'he who pays the Piper, calls the tune.' This guy was always a single point of failure, could have stopped paying for any number of reasons. It's crazy to me that the only reason the women's races were being run was because a man was fronting the money for them every year. Until we start putting the money and support into women's sport more generally, it will always be controlled by those that do put in, and we'll keep seeing things like this happen. Sorry, just my view.

Don't be sorry. It's a great perspective and you are very right. I'm not sure where money for sport usually comes from. The sport my daughter plays relies on membership so they don't have much. Sport needs fair funding not funding to control it... 😤 I've never been part of a big sport like swimming or football or cycling but I guess it isn't always lottery money. There was the debacle of Russian money in football just last month too.

I’m confused though. Surely the policy is trans inclusive if transmen are still allowed to ride. Or does he not believe transmen exist?

I'd donate to a crowdfunder for this. 'Team Vipers' all the way.

I think the 'blackmail' part of it comes from doing this close to when an event is to run. Absolutely this man should be able to choose where his money is spent.

But to pull the sponsorship giving one month to find a replacement is where the 'blackmail' aspect is coming into play.

Oh, but the very conditional ex-sponsor said that girls/women having to compete against biological males was fine and dandy with him . Why even have a separate event for women then, you'd wonder?

The ex-sponsor said (from the article in intro) that the transgender policy adopted by British Cycling had been the result of a full consultation process and was believed to have been working well for the biological males . Strikethrough is my own addition!

Now, who was consulted and what was examined and discussed, I wonder. Who decided it was fine and dandy? Also, who said it was working well (besides the fellows and their cheerleaders). Was it working for women? ... being women's cycling and all.

Talk about holding the funding of women's sports over a barrel. It is better for women to have sponsors who are not trying to interfere with women's cycling for their own political or ideological reasons. We want fairness in sport, even for women.

@catscatscurrantscurrants

I'd donate to a crowdfunder for this. 'Team Vipers' all the way.

Somewhere on FWR is a fabric pattern that someone designed when we were considering merch. And a Latin motto tho' Team Vipers does it for me.

Inclusive sports in the Eye

Ouch! That's perfect, and brutal.

It does seem a bit suss for 'they' to sponsor a woman's event and then withdraw the funding at short notice.
Sabotage rather than support as a poster has already commented...
I suspect it will backfire as pro-women funding - given the current media profile of cycling and gender issues - will capitalise nicely on this and allow the event to go ahead. I hope FPFW do step in.

OT but can someone explain the WEP and the donor? I didn’t hear about that.

@DanceToTheMusicOfTim

OT but can someone explain the WEP and the donor? I didn’t hear about that.

Discussed here:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/4500953-WEP-membership-support-single-sex-spaces

Links this:

As this site reported previously, one of the WEP’s biggest donors is a wealthy software engineer for Google with a trans-identified child. According to the electoral commission website, he donated £91,700 between 2015 and 2020. He was also given a role on the members assembly and was present in the feedback session at conference last year, where he described how painful it was for him to have to listen to ‘extreme views.’

grahamlinehan.substack.com/p/the-wep-continues-to-betray-its-members?s=r

If I didn't know better I would say the money is exactly the reason for 'inclusion' drives in the first place... I mean, it makes placing your bet on the winner much easier doesn't it!

I too would contribute. In a heartbeat.

And I hope Fair Play for Women are getting behind it. I'd love to see their 'hands off my rights' logo all over it.

Happy to donate. Just waiting for a link.

I have never watched a cycling race in my life but if donate to a sponsorship crowdfunder.

*I'd, not if. Bloody autocorrect.

Happy to donate too 👍 great women’s road race on Eurosport earlier 🚲 looking forward to Saturday’s cobbles!

Road cycling relies heavily on sponsors since it can’t sell spectator tickets but we don’t need money from sex denying misogynists

@PermanentTemporary

Really?? 15k?

I'd definitely donate to that.

Me too. Let's do it. What a message it would send if we crowd-funded this in a matter of days

Thanks Embarrassing.

@Absurdle

I want to give him credit for sponsoring it for the last few years as a private individual.

But I am so baffled at his motivation. How could you have the kind of admirable commitment to women's sport to pay substantial sums out of your own pocket to fund it, and then withdraw your funding when the race won't admit men? Anyone capable of joined up thinking can see the consequences of letting men into women's sport. It's very odd.

Because he wishes to fund women's cycling not for women, or because of any interest in women's sport, but because those women and their races make for a lovely setting for TW. It's just all about the male born people, as per bloody usual, with female people mere props and scenery.

Fuck that.

Ready to crowd fund any time for this. I'd suspect it could be raised in a few hours. And the govt are going to cringe majorly if it becomes that women are now forced to fund their own sports because unless its by males, for males, and all about males, no other bugger is going to. Extreme end misogyny UK.

I will also contribute to sponsoring if a method can be established.

I'm going to go against the grain and say I'm not keen to contribute. There are so many sports, we can't support them all. It removes the responsibility from others whose job it is, to sort this out.

I'll carry on supporting the legal cases but I can't stretch to this as well. It could mean some sports end up with women squeezed out. IIRC kickboxing was one that was happy to have male people fighting women at one point?

We have to draw the line. Politicians must step up and save women's sports.

I'll donate too. Stanton can stuff they's £15k where the sun don't shine. Wouldn't it be great to have it sponsored by Mumsnet vipers!