Why is the parkrun decision wrong?

[Getonnow]

It feels all wrong to me, but I've had lots of men tell me they thinks it's the right decision and the only thing they could do in the circumstances.

I think it's a cop out and they haven't dealt with the actual issue and also that they've lied about the real reason for the change, but I'm having trouble articulating it beyond that. Help me?

I'm sorry that you'll not be attending parkrun this weekend @Brefugee

I love parkrun and have considered not going but I'm nearly on 200 runs and am aiming for my 250th. I'm sick of people saying 'if you don't like what they're doing, then boycott it'. Why should women lose out, yet again, because the organisation is pandering to a very small minority?

Women fought to have their own events and to be able to compete (for those who haven't heard of Katherine Switzer or Bobbie Gibb, I suggest you look them up) and it feels as if we're having them taken away from us again. Some organisations are too cowardly to do the right thing.

They get government grants and have paid executives.

Also: when women asked the organizers to classify by sex not gender Identity, women were told "it's just for fun". Now men can t preen about their results it isn't a fun run. It is Schrödinger's run where you don't know if it's fun or not until you check the results.

And I have read that invitations to join running clubs can be based on your Parkrun rankings. So that is very serious and useful if that is how you get into clubs.

I'd like to see a women only run set up. For women of female sex. But we know that won't happen.

As to trans men, difficult. If they take T they really ought not to run as woman. And in the spirit of Parkrun's attitude to women - meh, the displaced men can suck it up. Except I think if it puts men off, for whatever reason, that's shit too.

Obviously it is difficult to achieve a balance of everyone's needs.

No it isn't. It should be very, very easy. Fairness for thousands of women and girls vs validation to a handful of men who want to be women but aren't (and who can, and always were able to, take part and run in the same race as the women anyway).

"I'm not saying the trans woman is more important that other women just that the positive for her is greater than the negative for others.

As a woman, I would be happy to accept that my ranking might change. I accept that others might not. Obviously it is difficult to achieve a balance of everyone's needs."

My bold. I think there is a name for this as a political technique, where you state that you're not saying something, before going on to say exactly that thing.

There probably is a name for it. But really, it very simple flawed logic. That statement absolutely says that the male is more important than women. It is someone trying to either deny to themselves what the outcome of their position means, or trying to hide it with a false platitude.

It's just more be kind women, the men must be made happy nonsense. Marvellous, I sincerely hope that person does not claim to be a feminist.

It never ceases to amaze me how far some women will abase themselves and expect other women to do so too in order to keep men happy.

maybe they need a female and an open category. Only actual women should be in female and anyone found cheating will have their results cancelled. TM, TW, other males and any female who cares more about validating males than their own comparative results being meaningful can run on the open category.

It's a good idea @literalviolence
Would you be up for suggesting this to parkrun via their contact form? I posted a link above.

Yes - I've been appalled at how many women have capitulated to the TWAW mantra and who are quite prepared to give up fairness for women for the sake of a very small minority of men. But I guess it was ever thus.

Yep, women ran Magdalen laundries and inflicted terrible abuse on women and girls in support of their misogynistic religion so no reason to think human nature has had an overhaul.

Yes. There have always been women who will make the best use they can of the power given to them and the head pats given to them by men, when they bully and abuse other women in the name of patriarchy. Some women enjoy power where they can get it. And some who were victims themselves, seek the experience of getting to be the abuser rather than the abused. Others have a sentimental beauty and the beast type thing about the love of a good woman, or the mummy feelz of nurturing men, and are genuinely baffled when it's pointed out how little they value women or themselves in doing this, and what internal values this is based on and where it came from. The Patient Griselda fairy story is useful reading.

And some just want to save their own skin - Do it to Julia not realising that when it has been done to Julia they will be next on the list. If they think their submissiveness and bowing down to these men ensures that the men hold them in higher esteem than the women who don't they are in for a very rude awakening.