It’s almost time to delete my account so I am sticking my neck out to potentially getting blasted.
I will preface by stating that gender identity is not an issue for me. Be who you want, use whatever bathroom you want. Just wash your hands/paws/tentacles.
My ignorant question is: for transgender athletes in competitive sports, should records be categorized differently or asterisked? Isn’t it kind of like using performance-enhancing drugs?
I don’t mind about actually competing, however if someone had 5-10 years of hormonal growth advantage during puberty, even if they no longer have that advantage, it seems like a big gray area. Yes, someone could naturally have that chemical makeup. Similarly, some exceptionally elite athletes have genetic variations that give them natural physical advantage.
When I was in school I was decent at swimming, in the top 5% of men. If I competed against women I would be like top 0.01% and making a career out of it. Though, if I started setting records I don’t know how I’d feel about it, given my advantage.
Honestly, writing these thoughts down is giving me some existential dread. What does it mean to be human, and why? Does anything even really matter?
I hope everyone has a nice day and is kind to each other.
I will maybe get destroyed for this comment, as I have in the past, but oh well…
The trans in sports topic shouldn’t be considered this binary issue that defines your political alignment or morals.
It undeniably seems more complicated than some make it out to be. Use silly over exaggerated examples: if a man becomes a steroid popping powerlifter professionally, then decides to transition to being a woman, should he then be allowed to compete in women’s powerlifting competitions? Over exaggeration, but there’s a point isn’t there? I don’t really know, but it seems like in this thought experiment, she would easily beat out all other competitors. Insert any other sport where men dominate over women due to biology. Is this a bad way to think? If so, why? You made the example in swimming.
I will forever support and vote politically to protect all minorities, including the LGBT community. I will always reject bigotry. But saying this is not a complicated issue, just doesn’t seem right. And questioning it in this way, doesn’t make me a bigot. Let trans athletes compete in any sport? Categorize them differently? I don’t know, Im not sure it’s that easy.
At the end of the day, this stuff really is a distraction that creates infighting to shift focus away from more important things. The oligarchy likes this distraction because we’re not talking about how they’re exploiting all of us. This is the kind of thing where I say “I honestly don’t know, but why aren’t we taxing the billionaires?”
Thank you so very much. Yes, it’s a tough question. No, the question in and of itself does not imply hate. Yes, it’s been used as a political football.
And the dumbest part? There are so very few trans athletes, and let’s be real, we’re only talking about MTF trans athletes. Nobody gives a flying fuck if FTM trans folks get whipped at a competition.
“Our state has proudly passed a law banning the 3 MTF kids in the entire fucking state!” 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻