Sharron Davies on Woman's Hour today (Wednesday)

[nauticant]

She'll be discussing fareness in sport. Since this is the first time a post-Emma Barnett presenter (Nuala McGovern) will be looking at gender identity ideology, this could be interesting.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001n8q3

Sharron's on now.

I am about halfway through her book at the moment, it is a really good read, not just on the trans issue, but also about East German doping and the lack of transparency (and sexism) of the International Olympic Committee.

Something else occurred to me about transwomen in sport today. Female records only count if they are created in female-only races. So if, in a parallel universe, I run the London marathon in a new British record-breaking time, does that not count if I was following a overseas transwoman round? Admittedly UKA has said transwomen can't compete in the female category, but the question remains for other sports.

She introduced her position effectively be talking about the similarity between cheats doping with testosterone and natural testosterone for males giving a significant advantage over female elite athletes.

I'm listening. She's being given a fabulous opportunity to speak without interruption and is setting out an absolutely barnstorming argument. She has the confidence of complete conviction.

(Now, let's see if Nuala bemoans women being unkind to vulnerable and oppressed people...)

Yet another comparison. The East European women athletes are paying for the doping with wrecked health now caused by an overload of the wrong hormone. Let's see how today's kids receiving cross-sex hormones are managing in a couple of decades.

My god, she is good - clear, informed and compassionate, and currently being given a chance to talk uninterupted.

Nuala fighting back: "British cycling has banned transwomen" and that the science is just so uncertain so what can we do?

Nuala: but why don't the female athletes put the foot down like the men have over transmen in men's boxing?

Why indeed?

Nuala: maybe the women being quite is because it's the old useless ones who are not on board with trans rights while the younger ones are hip and cool over it.

Sharron is unconvinced.

No Nuala, they are not speaking up because they are shit scared of being harassed and are leaving the sport. HTH

That should be "being quiet".

Nuala now relying on unclear headlines in newspapers to show how anti-trans some of the reaction is being. A bit weasely that.

Well said Sharron - I believe that women and girls are entitled to our opportunities - RESPECT!!

I'll listen later but Sharron is so clearly correct in everything she says and writes about this issue. She's the voice of science, biology, real 'lived experience' and common sense. Sports that allow men into women's sports basically just don't give a shit about women's sports or actively want to destroy them.

Nuala sounds so reasonable but she's being incredibly disingenuous. Conflating kids being told they must compete with their biological sex, with 'being excluded from school sports'.

At least we know for sure now which mast her colours are pinned to.

Sharron is an exceptionally gifted representative for fairness... she comes across better than anyone, so pleased whenever she s presented she makes our case perfectly.

And now talking about fecal incontinence after childbirth. I wonder how many transwomen athletes need to worry about that?

I am just surprised by the 50 transwomen athletes competing as women at top level in Canada/North America. That does not sound like a tiny minority!

Sharon was wonderful. She got her points across so clearly and was not deflected by Nuala's quotes using terms such as 'exclusion', 'already marginalised' and 'genocide'. Sharon rightly pointed out that women and girls are being excluded from their own sports.

Nuala is canny enough to avoid being an outright cheerleader but there was a fair bit of under the radar #bekind type positions in what she was saying.

Sharron Davis was great on this: clear and fair.

Loved how Sharron's piece on fairness in women's sport was bookended by the latest 'Pestminster' grim incident and post birth anal incontinence
Sex matters.
Proper woman's hour this morning.

American cycling is particularly bad for letting men compete as women. High School athletics, too.

I am eternally grateful to Sharon for her consistent lobbying. From September English swim races have to have an "open" and a "girls" category even for races at grass roots level. None of this "it doesn't matter because they are little" business.

I wonder what pieces will make the cut for Weekend Women's Hour?

Thanks for linking. Very good performance by Sharron Davis - clear, articulate, reasoned, evidenced, and she's clearly up to date with the material. Excellent contrast to some of the ludicrous 'other sidery' being put to her. And she was allowed to talk, which was my worry - I caught a bit of her interview on Good Morning Britain a few days ago and that was just her being shouted over.

Personally I'd have pushed back on Bridges' genocide nonsense, but leaving it hanging was probably the more politic move.

❤️ to Sharon Davies for advocating for women.

It's truly shocking what is happening in sport .