Elite British sportswomen would be uncomfortable with transgender women competing in female categories in their sport - Survey

[IwantToRetire]

More than 100 elite British sportswomen have told the BBC they would be uncomfortable with transgender women competing in female categories in their sport.

But many have expressed fears over sharing their opinion publicly because of concerns they would be seen as discriminatory.

One told the BBC "your career is over" if you speak on the subject, while another said: "You can receive abuse if you support it or don't support it. Damned if you do, damned if you don't."

There were also feelings that there "should be a place in sport for transgender people" and calls for more research and open categories in sports.

Over the past couple of years, a raft of sports have banned transgender women from competing in elite women's sport because of concerns.

Among the concerns from athletes was that having transgender women in female categories was like "going back in time and putting women at the bottom of the pile again", and that it created an "unfair playing field" and could be "harmful".

Full story here https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/68564019

Worth noting that quite a small number of response, out of 615 sent the survey only 143 reponsed! Evidence of their fear of commenting, or lack of trust in the BBC to keep their participation confidential?

[NotBadConsidering]

The same survey also returned answers on how poorly women are paid for their sport.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/68604264

I imagine there to be a link between the two. Who would risk their already meagre income by speaking publicly about it? Well done to those who responded.

This is why the IOC doesn’t consider women to be relevant stakeholders to discussion; when you ask women they say no, and they can’t have that, can they? Better off if you just don’t ask them🙄😡.

[StealthSpinach]

I’d expect that the majority of female elite athletes would be fucking furious about males competing in the female category of their sport - rather than just “uncomfortable”!

[MikeRafone]

The survey will have told the woman how they can feel - fucking furious wasn’t an answer, the bbc didn’t want woman to be furious

[Needapadlockonmyfridge]

Of course they feel that way.
Nobody likes a cheat.

[JeannieDark]

I noticed the article didn't outright say "90% of athletes surveyed (or who responded to the survey)" but used the number of respondents instead. Sounds more powerful when you know it's 90%.

[PermanentTemporary]

Silly to separate the idea of 'more open categories in sport' and 'a place for transgender people in sport' with not wanting male people in women's sport. They're the same things. How desperate they are to try and separate them.

I'd like more sport to be available to everyone, however they present themselves. Categories should be the least bloody stressful aspect of sport - find the category that matches you, enter, end of story. I am repeatedly assured, most recently by DadJoke, that all trans people know what sex they are. Well, of course. We'll know things are moving on when he BBC publish a survey of male athletes about the times they've had a tram mate transition to presenting as a woman and have gone out of their way to assure them of an ongoing welcome in their team.

[MrsOvertonsWindow]

Of course elite athletes are furious. Women all over the world are fucking furious at this assault on our language, sport, privacy, rights and safety. And incandescent at what's happening to children.

Amazed to see the BBC even asking elite athletes - it makes a pleasing departure from their usual "nothing to see here bigots" attitude.

[MikeRafone]

you can not change the x and y chromosome

if you are xx or xy can't be changed - if it means that categories need to be labelled this to avoid confusion, then so be it. Other things about the body can be changed and altered and to have a category for any else wanting to complete can be put forward and the sooner this happens the better

[HeartofSaturdayNight]

Two threads here this morning about the BBC's dishonest news reporting.

I hope the reputational damage is worth it, BBC.

[Froodwithatowel]

'Uncomfortable'.....

[EdithStourton]

That survey really is a case of asking if bears shit in the woods....

WTF answer did they expect?

[BellaAmorosa]

@MikeRafone

you can not change the x and y chromosome

if you are xx or xy can't be changed - if it means that categories need to be labelled this to avoid confusion, then so be it. Other things about the body can be changed and altered and to have a category for any else wanting to complete can be put forward and the sooner this happens the better

Labelling the women's events XX would make no difference. The men would still insist on getting in because that's the category with all the women in it. Nobody is confused.

Identities are irrelevant to athletic performance - no special categories required. Nor is there a need for the creation of any extra categories to take account of body modifications because that is a matter of individual choice and any consequences for athletic performance should be borne by the individual. Everyone is included in Male/Open and Female.

[Justme56]

In Australia…

[BellaAmorosa]

Yeah, just seen that!

If no-one puts a stop to this, next year in preseason, 5 blokes will be the minimum in any women's team that wants get anywhere.

[Soigneur]

@HeartofSaturdayNight

Two threads here this morning about the BBC's dishonest news reporting.

I hope the reputational damage is worth it, BBC.

What is dishonest about this survey or the way the results are presented?

[Soigneur]

@StealthSpinach

I’d expect that the majority of female elite athletes would be fucking furious about males competing in the female category of their sport - rather than just “uncomfortable”!

They're not "furious", because if you've ever worked with elite athletes that's not how they function - they don't generally go in for big feelings. I coach women and girls (thankfully in a sport that does not permit males to compete in the female category) and of those who are aware of the issue (many are not, as its not something that they have ever encountered), 'concerned' would be the best descriptor. A significant number of younger ones, especially teenagers, are very much in the 'be kind' category I'm sorry to report, and think that the changes banning males in our sport are unfair.

[Runor]

“We should also have open categories”

Can we have an open category for 50-something year old women who, through their life choices of having babies and not prioritising their own physical training, are a bit crap at the actual sport, but fancy a trip to Paris as an Olympian?

Surely being an elite athlete means that you never choose to do the thing which compromises your performance - even if it means foregoing other opportunities?!

[PaperWalkAndTalk]

@StealthSpinach

I’d expect that the majority of female elite athletes would be fucking furious about males competing in the female category of their sport - rather than just “uncomfortable”!

I think the term "uncomfortable" has been deliberately used to make it sound more like a social issue that can be "educated out" of them, rather than stating that they are angry with this open cheating.

Remember that if a female athlete took testosterone up to the level trans-women are allowed, it would be considered doping and cheating.

[ErrolTheDragon]

Surely being an elite athlete means that you never choose to do the thing which compromises your performance - even if it means foregoing other opportunities?!

I was struck by this listening to Laura Kenny being interviewed on woman's hour this week re her decision to retire from competitive cycling. And of course, we never even hear the names of the many women who don't make it to the top because of their choices around family.

[Froodwithatowel]

@PaperWalkAndTalk

I think the term "uncomfortable" has been deliberately used to make it sound more like a social issue that can be "educated out" of them, rather than stating that they are angry with this open cheating.

Remember that if a female athlete took testosterone up to the level trans-women are allowed, it would be considered doping and cheating.

Yes. It implies prejudice and something minor that should be tolerated and overcome.

Fuck off with that misogynist bullshit. It's plain male privilege and power 'reframing' women's voices and reality into something convenient to them. And trying to conceal the reality of their male exploitation and oppression of women under marketing and spin.

[ErrolTheDragon]

There were 143 responses to the study overall. This means that while those uncomfortable on transgender participation in elite women's categories outnumbered those comfortable by 10 to one from the respondents, the results cannot be taken as representative of how elite British sportswomen feel across the board.

What? I don't think I've ever seen the results of a survey with a 10:1 result described like that before.

[Soigneur]

@Runor

“We should also have open categories”

Can we have an open category for 50-something year old women who, through their life choices of having babies and not prioritising their own physical training, are a bit crap at the actual sport, but fancy a trip to Paris as an Olympian?

Surely being an elite athlete means that you never choose to do the thing which compromises your performance - even if it means foregoing other opportunities?!

This is literally what age groupings are for. Have a look at triathlon in particular which is very good for age groupers. All other sports have age categories/masters etc too. The vast majority of elite athletes will never compete in the Olympics. Take a look at someone like Jasmin Paris - she has a fulltime job as a vet, two children, and will never compete at the Olympics, but is by any definition an elite athlete.

The open category is what has been adopted by many sports and it works very well - it's basically the men's category renamed. So, in cycling:

Open - males, females with a TUE for cross-sex hormones
Women - females with a normal endocrine profile

Additionally, women may race in the open category when there isn't a women's race offered at a meet (usually due to cancellation for lack of entries). This always used to happen 'unofficially' but is now official and means that the race counts in terms of ranking points.

[DadJoke]

@ErrolTheDragon

There were 143 responses to the study overall. This means that while those uncomfortable on transgender participation in elite women's categories outnumbered those comfortable by 10 to one from the respondents, the results cannot be taken as representative of how elite British sportswomen feel across the board.

What? I don't think I've ever seen the results of a survey with a 10:1 result described like that before.

You can certainly infer something from those results - probably that elite women atheletes overall don't want trans women included - but the people who responded are much more likely to include those who feel strongly about the issue. Clearly, there are very few female atheletes who feel strongly about the issue in favour of transgender women.

The EqA allows sporting bodies to decide - I think that's a fair approach.

[Soigneur]

@DadJoke the survey was wide ranging and only one question I think was about trans-inclusion so I don’t see how you draw the conclusion that only those who feel strongly about that single issue bothered to reply.

[Ofcourseshecan]

@Justme56

In Australia…

Shame on them.