Transgender weightlifter

Interesting article on New Zealand Laurel Hubbard. Seems like a very difficult situation all round.


BBC News - Laurel Hubbard: First transgender athlete to compete at Olympics
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-57549653

 

She shouldn't be allowed to compete when she has an unfair advantage.

 

How can this be fair? Classification should be by biological gender, rather than elective gender. It will be interesting to see how this pans out as a test case, especially if she wins.

 

Russian Olympic shot putters have been getting away with it for years

 

Lionel Messi has an unfair advantage - he's miles better at football than anyone else, due in the first instance to genes which make him miles better at football than anyone else.

For the sake of the Copa América, I think he, too, should be banned.

 

Its hugely unfair, she was a powerlifter before her transition and a good one at that setting some junior records etc.

Where will they draw the line? Are we going to have a young male boxer win loads of youth titles then transition to a woman and fight as a woman?

Imagine being one of her competitors? Trained for years to achieve your dream and get to the Olympics to then be against someone that was a male powerlifter before going through the gender reassignment surgery.

 

I'm really torn about this issue. On one hand, the fact they have grown up and gone through puberty as a male, which will have allowed their body to develop much stronger than most of their female born competitors seems unfair, and I would fear for the future of female sport if more and more male to female athletes appear on the elite scene.

On the other hand, I can't comprehend how it must feel to know I was in the wrong body, and the emotional distress it must cause must be harrowing. Then there is the effect that the transition process its self has on the body, which can't be optimal for an elite-level athlete.

I honestly don't know the answer, and from the looks of it, the experts don't either. It's a no-win situation, and whatever decision is made, someone is going to lose out(it could be the trans athlete if they are barred from competing, or the female-born athlete if they are allowed).

 

I really wince whenever this topic resurrects itself.

I'd much prefer if our collective energies were in support of the trans athlete who has been faced by a series of life changing decisions, the type the vast majority of people on this forum can't even begin to comprehend. And in so doing, let the authorities make their decisions and hope they are fair.

I'd feel much more comfortable if we didn't have any undercurrent of discussion that suggests (even if unintended) that an athlete will "JUST" change gender to win a few bits of metal on ribbons.

 

Not sure if this is aimed at my reply or just a general point you are making but I personally wasn't intentionally indicating that Laurel changed gender on purpose to win medals etc. I can't imagine the stress etc. she went through in her life before making the big decision to go through with the change. I just personally think it is unfair that she can compete with other female athletes given her background etc.

although as Cod Eye rightly says, its a lose lose situation. If they ban her then they look as if they are not accepting of her and that will cause backlash to them. If they let her compete and she wins medal after medal and dominates then she and they will get backlash from people saying its unfair.

 

It was a general point, mainly based on where these posts generally meander to.

I just hope there is a tiny bit more awareness and compassion since Gravys wonderfully brave post a little way back to highlight just how difficult such things are for the individual, and that sporting advantage will be the furthest thing from their minds before deciding to transition.

 

Picking some heavy weights off the floor is one thing,,,, but what happens when the sport is boxing? Can you imagine the damage that could be done to a naturally female competitor?

 

If she'd never competed as a male I would have more sympathy but no way can this be seen as fair? As usual biological women get pushed back down. This will not help in the push to get more women involved in sport, especially in their teenage years .

 

You hope the authorities are fair. Problem is they are in a no win situation. The biggest contenders against transgender participants are women athletes themselves. I for one find it difficult to go against their arguments. Even though testosterone levels are the guide.
If she wins. I doubt most of the athletics community would accept it on merit. And Joe public either.
Strange (or not) thing is it works one way. I don’t believe any female transgenders are tested to compete against their male counterparts.

 

My biggest concern in this current climate its another divide and conquer issue creating another enemy for GB News to take aim at.

It's hugely complex and too complex and too important for it to be tarred as such. It's not easy to handle, but the sporting bodies and law courts are where these things will reside and be decided, in both short and longer terms.

 

From my understanding - and this is a few years old - without the parts of the body that produce testosterone, the transgender athlete doesn't have any physical advantages over a female-born athlete of the same body size. My sister is actually taller than me (I'm 6'2"), but didn't like sport. She would have a considerable height/reach advantage over most women - and indeed many men, and Olympic boxing is more about skill and ability than knocking out the competitor.

 

I get that, but no law in the land will change people’s perception.

 

Women are not as biologically strong as men. Their bone density is less. They menstruate every month which gets in the way of training. They have the disadvantage of societal " norms" to overcome that girls don't " do" sports.

 

Indeed, we just have to look at the prejudices that are still prevalent today despite decades of efforts to educate and eradicate.

 

Elite female athletes also often don't menstruate every month - due to the low body fat percentage. Especially in sports that require lots of training - athletics, swimming, cycling, gymnastics, etc.

Its a complex issue - and some sports are more even than others. Something like kayaking or rowing would probably give more of an advantage to a trans competitor than other sports, like shooting or equestrian events (just from the top of my head of Olympic sports).

 

Madness,

He's got a " Quality advantage" due to hard work and most probably natural skill, no enhancements ( imo)