Well who'd a thunk? Swimming

[IcakethereforeIam]

Actually, this does surprise me a little. I'd have thought someone would have entered if just for the prize money, assuming there's prize money.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/othersports/article-12588373/Swimming-World-Cups-open-races-transgender-swimmers-scrapped-entered-following-ban-competing-female-events.html

I don’t think there’s prize money, but third spaces aren’t what they are after, it’s validation.

How very odd. So it's NOT just about being able to compete in sports after all. It's about being able to compete in women's sports, or they don't want to know. I'm shocked, I tells ya. Shocked.

No prize money? Well there goes my surprise.

Blimey. Who’d have seen that coming? It’s almost like the men competing in women’s sections just wanted access to women’s spaces rather than the ability to compete while living as their chosen identity.

See also: “We just want to pee” in relation to bathroom access.

if they cant win in the easier category, there's no point?

Shocked.

What, if males can't access women's races with women's changing rooms, they won't race at all?

So much for third spaces.

Not being allowed in the female category proves they aren't women.

Guess there's no validation or 'euphoria' if not winning against women or getting changed in female changing rooms.

That there are no takers at a World Cup event doesn't necessarily surprise me. It would be more interesting if there'd be people signing up at regular competitions. Especially in the Master's category.

I find it interesting that no female representatives of the "be kind" brigade entered. All those women who are on board with trans ideology and dislike the gender critical crowd keep going on about the massive support most women have for MtF competitors in women's sport. And yet as well as no MtF compeititors there were no female competitors who chose to compete in the open category.
It's almost as if when there's free choice and no figurative gun being held to their heads that most ( if not all ) women competitors want to compete against other females.

No nonbinary either.

hmmm, just about the taking part I thought!

seems not!

Meanwhile, at grass roots, clubs have had to put into place transgender policies and change their systems to register their swimmers as either "female" or "open" (and explain this to the parents). Causing, amongst other things, a complete safeguarding headache to the volunteers who have to police this nonsense with very little guidance and - unless they are immersed in the GC world - very little understanding about wtf is going on.

Oh my! Did I just have a massive laugh at this! Shocked, just shocked that Thomas didn't enter.

Reminds me of that very well-observed cartoon/meme, where the women's changing room only contains a number of transwomen, and they are furious - as they don't get validation (or whatever other goals they seek) from other TW; only from women!

Well what a surprise, I’m actually flabbergasted!

I thought transmen would have flocked to it. Especially since they can't win against men and can't race against women since they are considered to be doping.

Oh well. At least everyone is sure what they are racing for now and it sure as hell isn't just for the joy of participation.

Why am I not suprised?

Chuffing hell. Does that mean I could have entered and won?

We could have sent a FWR nonbinary team!

I'm not surprised at all, it was never about being able to compete. It was always about trampling women's boundaries and taking opportunity from women.

If only, Arabella

I'm shook.

How strange that Lia didn't even enter, considering it was their actions that started this process. Very weird 🤔

World Aquatics changed their policy last year in the wake of the row involving American Lia Thomas

I wonder if a non-binary female team (surely shome mistake there) had announced they were to enter, there might have been other competitors