this post was submitted on 23 Dec 2023
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If we're considering testosterone to be a PED, perhaps we should ban everyone from sports...
On a more serious note: why not advocate for putting people into "testosterone-level groups", similar to how boxing, etc, do it with weight classes? Rather than just excluding trans women from competing.
I also feel I have to ask: how do you feel about your niece losing in competitions to cis women who have biological advantages, such as higher (natural) testosterone levels, longer limbs, bigger hands, smaller busts, etc?
There is more to it than just "current testosterone levels" because (like you mention in your question at the end) biological birth sex as a male would likely afford the person with a larger frame, muscles/skeletal structure, bigger hands, longer legs, etc.
And to answer your question: no I wouldn't have a problem with cis women competing with each other. Obviously, natural differences exist and set people apart. But sport and competition is predicated on a foundation of fair play, personal excellence, and mutual respect among participants.
Any artificial advantage or thumb on the scale, for whatever reason, undermines the integrity of the competition, devalues the effort of athletes, and erodes the spirit of the game.
Naturally occurring differences like extra testosterone, height, or flexibility might be advantages but they aren't unfair because they are inherent to the individual's unique physiology and not externally imposed or artificially enhanced. That's the line we've drawn for sport and competition for centuries.
So no, that wouldn't bother me at all.
So there is no problem then, since by your own word naturally occurring differences aren’t unfair. Trans women who transition even put themselves at a disadvantage compared to pretransition.
Oh and trans women are real women, just like any other woman. They are not second class women, or “kinda women but really not”, they are 100% women. Same goes for trans men. And the whole “biologically male/female” strawmen has never been true but still evolved into this transphobic talking point to justify hate.
Biology isn't a pseudoscience, if that's what you meant by "biologically male/female strawmen."
and trans women are not biologically female. that's not hatred. they are physically different. two different sexes. that's not insignificant no matter how much you want to ignore it.
bodies of different sexes are different.
This whole argument is so fringe and inconsequential it should really be handled by the board running the organized sport and not a matter of national debate. If the organization clearly states the rules they use to determine to who can compete and you agree to those rules when you sign up then there is no argument.