Elite sports people speaking up! Thread 2

[Signalbox]

A second thread to discuss resistance by athletes and others to men in women’s sporting events. We’ve come along way since the beginning of the first thread 2.5 years ago. Lots to celebrate but still much left to do.

The first thread can be found here…

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/4731592-elite-sports-people-speaking-up?page=1

IOC to stop funding into testosterone suppression......

https://x.com/runthinkwrite/status/1975785517427138914?t=9xvVU6mdzsNzoZ4zDhWf8A&s=19

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That is very interesting impossibletoday. I have been following Jon Pike’s feed from Finland and I am looking forward to seeing the released video.

I watched a bit of Arsenal-Lyon in the UWCL last night. Lyon had what seemed to be a DSD male on their team, it unsurprisingly wasn't commented on by any of the pundits.

Can trans and non-binary people compete in hockey?

Trans and non-binary hockey players are very welcome to play hockey at every level of the sport. Only trans and non-binary players who were assigned female at birth and are not using masculinising hormone treatment will be eligible to participate in the Female category. Trans women who were assigned male at birth will be able to compete in hockey in the mixed hockey competitions and the Open category. For hockey that falls outside of the policy trans women can participate in the gender they identify as. Trans men can compete in hockey in mixed hockey, and the open or female category dependent on their use of testosterone hormones.

https://www.hockeywales.org.uk/transgender-faqs

Cancellation presumably incoming for this brave NWSL player. Not high profile since neither the woman footballer nor the likely male DSD player recently signed by her club are really top drawer players, but still...

x.com/elizabetheddy2/status/1982593517362000308?t=0x77G1SF0ICGvOxnJPfTxg&s=19

Ridiculous that this has to be said, that this is a brave statement. In a sane world the reaction should be, 'well, duh!'. Like the tweets and essay that saw JKR labelled transphobic this humane statement will see the author subject to all the threats. I don't blame her for limiting who can reply to it. Even so-called friends though can be vicious around this subject.

National treasure Tracy Edwards was at the 199 Days Later march and gave a speech. She’s joining forces with Sharron Davies and start suing sporting orgs that flout the law.

https://x.com/actualcoverage/status/1984956091298406825

That's good news. These legendary sportswomen taking up the cudgels on behalf of so many silenced younger athletes is remarkable.

So inspiring, articulate and clear headed, thanks for sharing.

Local election here today and separately a petition to not allow biological males in women's sports was on a table, so I signed it. A trans person first begged me not to sign, then said "shame on you" when I did, and tried to take a photo of me. I don't think that was successful as I pushed the camera away and said "You don't take photos of people without their permission" and DH backed me up. Also, I have a crappy cold and cough today so I had a mask on (not Covid - I tested) to shield others from my germs, so I guess even if a photo was taken it won't show much, but what a nerve!

The reaction of the rest of her team: <a class="break-all" href="https://archive.ph/2025.10.31-221640/www.nytimes.com/athletic/6767172/2025/10/31/angel-city-sarah-gorden-nwsl-elizabeth-eddy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://archive.ph/2025.10.31-221640/www.nytimes.com/athletic/6767172/2025/10/31/angel-city-sarah-gorden-nwsl-elizabeth-eddy/

(Sorry, can't do archive postings properly)

The backlash

L.A. soccer stars blast teammate's 'racist and transphobic' op-ed calling for NWSL 'gender standards' https://www.nbcnews.com/sports/soccer/l-soccer-stars-blast-teammates-racist-transphobic-op-ed-calling-nwsl-g-rcna241873

What would those elite sportswomen know...

Considering the feedback we have seen over the past years of elite sportswomen suffering negative ramifications for making clear statements that reflect the body of research that is available, I think there are quite a number of elite sportswomen who will defend male people who have been included in female sport.

It is concerning that female sports people are treated so poorly for supporting female sports and gas lighted as to who they are competing with or against.

FIFA and all the world's football organisations need to address this issue. It is past time. I suspect however, that FIFA may then face court for any policy that excludes male people who are currently playing in the sport. After all, if those male people are some of the most highly acclaimed 'female' football players, it means that FIFA dragged their feet and didn't protect female sport. I wonder if they are trying to work out if those male players will quietly retire if sex texting is brought in?

And that would be sex testing. Not texting.

The accusations of racism at best reflect willful ignorance and at worst are really quite offensive.

They imply one or both of:

(1) the way that Banda, Semenya, Khelif et al look is somehow typical of African women, when really it's almost unheard of, but altogether typical of African men, which of course all of them are; and

(2) the sex tests which Banda and others failed, administered by the African football body CAF (contrary to the standard FIFA/MSL approach), could only have been the product of witch doctor style ignorance and/or banana republic corruption. just maybe CAF decided to do the tests because they recognise the DSD issue is bigger on their continent? I very much doubt that players and supporters for other national teams are very keen on the Zambia women's squad being packed with half a dozen men.

Welsh open fencing competition today has mixed sex for the para fencers - just why? (They do also have m and f para fencing but I just don't get why they then have to give the blokes another opportunity to medal...)

Transgender women to be banned from all female Olympic events…

https://www.thetimes.com/sport/olympics/article/olympic-ioc-transgender-athlete-ban-womens-sports-zhlpfll3b

Archive…

https://archive.ph/kGpyI

Now that's brilliant news. Should never have come to this of course, but finally...

Thank you Signalbox

“The new policy is also likely to cover DSD (differences of sex development) athletes — those who were raised as girls from birth but have male chromosomes and male levels of testosterone.”

Well, I look forward to this if it is true. However, the paragraph before leaves me a little confused.

“Coventry, a former Olympic swimmer from Zimbabwe who was elected earlier this year, said in June: “We understand there will be differences depending on the sports. We should make the effort to place emphasis on the protection of the female category and we should ensure that this is done in consensus with all the stakeholders. But we need to do that with a scientific approach and the inclusion of the international federations who have already done a lot of work in this area.”

I am hoping to see some commentary from people who went to the meeting .

Interesting article re BBC bias in sports. Seems there was some pushback and complaints by female staff.

“Messages seen by The Telegraph reveal that female staff repeatedly raised concerns over several years about the nature of reporting on gender issues.
BBC Sport bosses were told almost five years ago that stories about trans athletes were often uncritical and celebratory “puff pieces”, while glossing over any potentially negative impact on women’s sports.”

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/11/11/bbc-ignored-pro-trans-bias-in-sports-stories/

Archive…

https://archive.ph/L3Tp8

It was mixed sex for the poules and single sex for the DEs. Not unusual in any category where there are lowish numbers as it gives the opportunity for more fencing while the medals are determined by single sex knockouts.

”At 63, a mother-of-three and grandmother-of-two, [Sharron Davies] is in no mood to ease off in her quest. Which is why, today, alongside round-the-world yachtswoman Tracy Edwards, she is launching the Women’s Sports Union, a foundation that will specifically target sports still failing to ensure fairness for women at all levels, suing them if necessary.”

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/ae29a247292b8f74

Archive…

https://archive.ph/rYQEg

https://x.com/jennifersey/status/1991011014780063996?s=46

Nadia Comeneci has added her voice.

Jennifer’s tweet :

“ Nadia Comaneci is why I fell in love with gymnastics. At 14 she won three gold medals at the 1976 Olympics and scored the first ever perfect 10. The scoreboard couldn’t accommodate a 10.0 so the judges flashed 1.0.

And this week at the IOC meetings underway, she stood up for the protection of women’s sports.

Love her all over again.

Thank you, @ nadiacomeneci10 “