Pippa York: Puberty blockers would have put brakes on cycling glory

[Igneococcus]

Another transowman who hasn't realized that the public has wised up:
https://www.thetimes.com/article/f6dcf49a-f773-42d5-94a9-05f4aed12ce8?shareToken=51c30d30e0a18ebe070e2204e4e5af16

That article has pushed my blood pressure up.

The former athlete, who now lives in England, has no problems with trans people taking part in sport in their chosen gender.

Of course he doesn't because it doesn't affect him.

“There are so few trans athletes, and they never win.

This is a blatant lie.

He's right about this "The athlete who raced as Robert Millar said if she had been able to transition as a teenager the Tour de France polka-dot shirt would never have come to Scotland" because puberty blockers would have fucked his body

as for the rest I assume the journalist interviewing just let him wang on about it all being a non issue and didn't bother challenging him

“Your hormonal system runs your health. After the transition, the system that repairs muscle with protein no longer works the same. You hurt yourself training and don’t recover. And you lose that competitive edge that testosterone gives you.”

Translation: ‘here is some made up science to make me feel better about my nonsense beliefs because I don’t really think much about how women feel despite enjoying role playing as one’

And also, why do it.

Conplete admission that 'affirmative care" is damaging to health.

The arrogance of hand waving away women's experiences makes my blood boil.

Operation Let Them Speak continues!

Well they wouldn't have an issue with trans athletes would they_ he won as a man then transtioned so he didn't spoil his chances.

There was a very fawning article a few month ago as well when PY's autobiography came out. I wonder if there is a sports journalists version of "non-binary niece syndrome" going on, sports journalists who know a former athlete who transitioned and now simply can't look at the facts.

Deadnames themselves - well of course they would. Their fame is related to what they did in cycling. That’s why it’s a farce - do it when it’s something important to them, accuse everyone else of bigotry when it’s important to others (as in highlighting they are male/men).

Some of the Times sports journalists have been grim about all this. One of the more mediocre - Martin Samuels - wrote a dreadful article wanting women to budge up, be kind and hand over sports to these sad men. The comments were universally appalled / critical. The article subsequently disappeared completely, never to be seen again 😁

Unsurprising to see he retains his male pattern misogyny.

"The former athlete [...] has no problems with trans people taking part in sport in their chosen gender [...] 'Show me where it’s not fair. Three trans athletes have competed at the Olympics in 25 years. They didn’t win. One came last.'"

OK, I'll explain where it's not fair.
Three trans athletes – I'm going to assume he means trans identifying males, of course (who else?) So that's three women's places that were taken by males. And then all the women ranked under those males all had to move down a place. And so on and so on, right down the chain. So no, it's not "just" three women who were affected. It's all the women who participated. It doesn't matter if one came last, for fuck's sake. It's still a woman's place that was stolen. And one is one too many.

"Self-ID exists in other countries like Spain, Scottish people go there on holiday, and it’s not an issue."

I laughed out loud at that. Did he honestly really say that? 😂I just can't even...

Operation let them speak, yes, but they don't realise it's the behaviour that gives them away. Every single time. And there's no operation for that.

Never met another TW in the changing rooms or toilets infers that there is an obvious difference that makes them noticeable from
women. Surely Pippa should have said they weren’t aware of… to cover the occasional person who passes as the opposite sex.

Oh FFS. I’m absolutely fine so why should I give a stuff about anyone else or even think about the world outside my head? Narcissistic whinger.

“You go from being someone everyone admires, to being at the bottom of the pile again. It’s a fight for respect and dignity. It’s quite a social shift.”

Welcome to being a woman!

So he's saying the quiet bit out loud.

It translates from gender wang into English thus:

"I needed to go through a male puberty to develop the lung capacity, larger & denser bones, stronger and quicker muscle development, and an advantageous slimness of hips and Q angle of femur to pelvis, in order to cheat in later life,"

Oh, and socialisation into masculinity, a sex-based set of behaviours which gives men permission to compete, think they're the centre of the world, and that their needs are the most important.

All the things that socialisation into femininity, a sex-based set of behaviours which proscribes all those things for women.

The...bottom of the pile...and getting interviewed by the Times.

Does anyone know what the comments say?

I think people are wising up enough now, to know that no amount of hormone treatment changes a man's pelvis, height, lung and heart capacity and has minimal effect on his strength

Just remembered we had a thread about this person back in June. I doubt anyone's changed their opinion since then!

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/5355725-phillipa-york-in-the-guardian

Probably nothing much. My friend has been banned twice (changed her name second time) for her BTL GC comments under Times articles

The three top rated comments are:
1
"It's hard to take seriously an athlete who believes women's sport is not easier than men's. That is not an opinion shared by the overwhelming majority of biological female athletes. Literally hundreds of podium places have gone to males over the last 5 years in women's sport. They retain multiple physical advantages after puberty."

2
"Is that so, Robert? Here is what I gleaned from AI:

"A UN‑linked study (2024) reported that more than 600 female athletes across 29 sports had lost out to trans‑identifying competitors, with nearly 900 medals going to those athletes.

• The report also noted that some women withdrew from competition entirely, either because they felt they could not win against biologically male competitors or because they objected to the fairness of the rules.
• High‑profile examples include:
• US high school athletics: some female runners have testified that they stopped entering events when trans competitors dominated sprint categories.
• Martial arts and contact sports: there have been cases where women declined to fight trans women opponents, citing safety concerns.
• Swimming and cycling: some female athletes have said they considered quitting when trans women were admitted into their categories.

The wider impact

• Opportunity cost: It’s not only about medals. In sports, qualifying places, scholarships, sponsorships, and visibility are all tied to competition results. Losing a spot can mean losing a career path.
• Psychological effect: Even if the number of trans women competing is small, the perception that categories are no longer fair can discourage participation.
• Policy response: This is why federations like World Aquatics and World Athletics have now barred trans women who went through male puberty from female categories. Their stated aim is to protect the opportunity to compete for women as a class."

Mr M.
"
3
"“The former athlete, who now lives in England, has no problems with trans people taking part in sport in their chosen gender.”

Thank goodness it’s not up to him and sporting bodies are now recognising that men should never compete in women’s sports."

All three of them sparked more conversations.
There are two or three commentators that talk about "genuine transwoman" and being kind but the vast majority are pointing out the flaws.

Fab comments, especially from Mr M.!

Mr M gets challenged about his use of AI so other posters are adding sources including the report by Reem Alsalem

Compare and contrast:

sensible reader's (or AI's!) comment: "It’s not only about medals. In sports, qualifying places, scholarships, sponsorships, and visibility are all tied to competition results. Losing a spot can mean losing a career path"

with

Pippa's comment: "Is my existence an issue? Because to me, it’s just not a thing."

Yep, Pippa thinks it's all about Pippa.
Oh, not to mention the "my existence" melodramatics, yet again

You know, I thought I'd take this opportunity to talk about the importance of cycling in feminist history. I'm not big into cycling but I do have a bike and as an adult still enjoy a leaisurly ride on the many trails in my community. You may not have noticed this, but the difference between a men's and women's bike is the center bar, which is lower on a woman's bike than a man's. This has historical significance, because when bicycles were first introduced in the late 1800s women primarily wore long skirts and the lower bar allowed for them to ride bicycles while wearing them. But do you know what this really means? It means that the bicycle was literally the first vehicle that allowed women to get from point A to point B independently. It freed women from being trapped in their home, from needing to depend on a carriage or other form of transportation either owned by or paid for by their husband. It also ushered in the first time women could acceptably wear pants, because special "bicycle skirts," which were basically flowy pants, were developed so women could ride even more comfortably.

It's no coincidence that the rise in popularity of the bicycle happened alongside the women suffrage movement. Bicycles freed women and gave them a sense of empowerment and independence they had never experienced before. And also why it's no coincidence that cycling is the sport that's most targeted by trans-identified males to participate. There's something truly perverted about the impulse, whether consciously or subconsciously, to take awards and opportunities from women in the very activity that is most aligned to their empowerment and freedom.

Great post Zany 🚴