It's started in Irish dancing too. 14 year old trans child wins world qualifying event

[Greyheart1]

https://tennesseestar.com/news/parents-outraged-after-trans-identifying-boy-wins-girls-irish-dancing-competition-heads-to-worlds/admin/2023/12/10/

This means that the girl outside the qualifying spots in the U14 competition has missed out on her chance to dance at the world championships next year.
Devestating. It is an extremely expensive sport.

Doesn't matter what it costs. The price should never be women and girls' participation, fun, or dignity.

Elite or grassroots. Expensive or cheap as chips. It does not matter.

A side issue but I was struck by how the article using the phrase "trans-identifying boy" made it a much easier comprehend than those articles can often be.

@ResisterRex exact. The child can dance in it's own gender catagory & wear what it wants. There is no need to dance in the protected girls category just because the child feels like one.

@nauticant it is an American article, their turn of phrase is different & easy to comprehend. Irish Gripts has an article too. I'll link it.

As ever the comments in that article demonstrate the same issues. Parents and girls protesting but in fear that they could be ousted, criticised and even lose their jobs for speaking out. Those imposing unfair practices demanding compliance with the cult of inclusivity and "be kind"

The usual intolerance and bullying attitudes that allow boys and men to remove the rights of girls and women.

https://gript.ie/irish-dancing-world-shook-by-controversy-over-male-competitor-in-girls-competition/?fbclid=IwAR2Rb6k8WekQml72_sX0YIdffZ4MgYxSo48BtSgn2BbRvsVZFmfMBPZVAUw

Gripts article. This is the only publication coveting the story on this side of the Atlantic.

Signed the petition. This is awful for those poor girls

‘Alyssa’ on the podium.

Off-topic but my childhood friend was an Irish dancer (Irish Catholic) and there was minimal make-up, no wigs (!!) and hand-me-down costumes and
a swap-shop. I do remember her being very excited about a fake 70s tan because her pantyhose kept falling down though!

Have things changed?

That 100% should not be allowed. I don't get it though, he is dressed like a male Irish dancer so why not just compete with the boys?

The cost of the costumes is not what I would be pissed off about, I would be pissed off that a boy who is clearly at an advantage was allowed to compete with the girls.

@YetAnotherSpartacus I never got into it myself but since the 90s my friends would have been done up to the 9s dancing. I do know there is a huge market for 2nd hand dresses. Also if you are very good your dress can be sponsored.

@pontipinemum the child had a dress & wig for the most recent competition which could still have been worn if the child had danced in its birth gender.
At the end of the day the organisation made the rules so the buck stops with them.

The dresses themselves have changed too :(. They are now very frou frou and are a different shape.

Why is Alyssa dressed differently? Did that give Alyssa an advantage?

Or is it that wearing a dress and doing the dance moves required would be too revealing?

I do despair - the feelings of one trans person has been put ahead of all the other competitors. How can people not see how cruel and unfair this is?

@SabrinaThwaite in the most recent photos the child has a costume & wig.

I thought that one illustrated an obviously male child quite nicely though.

In Irish dancing at local feisanna boys and girls do sometimes compete together, as there are really not enough boys to do a separate competition.

But in more serious competition - regionals, nationals etc, the competitions are usually separate.

Why is the winner wearing trousers? Or could they all wear trousers and a boot styled shoe or can they all wear that if they wanted?

Yes absolutely correct!

TBF he might still have been Elias at that point. But the point about physique still stands.

Why are you calling him "it"?

Hmm, as a feminist all of this throws huge huge red flags. It's utterly wrong to dress up kids in 2k dresses and fake tan. If this is a sport then wear a leotard or normal dress. Pp has it right in that it is so like drag what difference if a boy or a girl? Agree on the stronger legs giving an advantage but the whole 'sport' is quite dodgy tbf.

@Boomboom22 very dodgy. I don't think this organisation is going to change it's rules in favour of you know girls in a girls competition if this is anything to go by..

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-12639381/Irish-dancing-world-compared-Mafia-new-BBC-documentary-parents-saying-scared-speak-2022-cheating-scandal-exposed-teachers-judges-bribing-sex-podium-places.html

Not the point of the thread, I know, but these little girls and the one boy look like Riverdance dollies. The wig thing gives me the creeps. When did wigs become part of the costume? Why do their dresses need to be so expensive?

It's utterly wrong to dress up kids in 2k dresses and fake tan. If this is a sport then wear a leotard or normal dress.

The dresses used to be longer and heavier with no tulle and they tended to be in green, amber, brown and red with embroidery. Sometimes they were handmade and handed down in the family.

They were beautiful - unlike the tacky crap out there now.

Just read a quote that described them in Dolly Parton's words as "you have to spend a lot of money to look really tacky".

What a shame.