Interesting piece but it strayed from the point made at the beginning: that trans women should not play in women's sports. Life is unfair but why make it more unfair than it already is.
I agree with the author's first footnote--rowing crew is masochistic. I rowed lightweight crew for one year. That was enough for me. And I agree with his …
Interesting piece but it strayed from the point made at the beginning: that trans women should not play in women's sports. Life is unfair but why make it more unfair than it already is.
I agree with the author's first footnote--rowing crew is masochistic. I rowed lightweight crew for one year. That was enough for me. And I agree with his emphasis on learning how to deal with losing. I am a mediocre athlete so I've lost many tennis matches over the years. But I still enjoy playing.
It wasn't about trans women playing in women's in and of itself, either here or in the original conversation with Sarah. It was a more nuanced take where there are instances that can absolutely be unfair in a tangible way - trans woman gets a money contract over a woman born in a female body for instance. And there are instances where he believes it's not really an issue (or shouldn't be) - basically any sport where it's not about money or a career. I tend to agree with him because the fairness argument can be used in many places. Why should a poor kid have to compete against a rich kid in anything, be it college admission, sport, etc? Why does a coloured/immigrant person have to be twice as good as a white person to get a promotion in most cases? This reply is not an attack on you so please do not take it in that way, but your post had a great point that tied in with what I wanted to say on the subject. I agree wholeheartedly on rowing by the way, and the lessons sport teaches, which is why the subject is important.
"Life isn't fair but why make it more unfair than it is". That's a valid argument that carries a lot of weight, but let's turn the lens around because fairness often depends on where you are standing. A girl is born in a female body, grows in that body and takes an interest in sport. She has middling talent but is no star, she just enjoys the game and loves being a part of a team. Another girl was born at the same time in a different hospital, but life was unfair to her and she was born in a male body. She grows in that body but life is hard, and she also takes an interest in sport. She has middling talent but is no star, she just enjoys the game and it makes her feel she's the same as everyone else.
In their teens these girls end up at the same school, although the second girl is going through transition. People tell the girl born in the wrong body that it is unfair that she be allowed to play sport against girls born in the right body. She cannot be a member of the girls team and because she's a girl she cannot play on the boys team. Neither girl is at fault here, but society says there is a problem of fairness.
Life is unfair and quite often the answer is not black and white. What is fair or not can depend on which side of the argument you stand. Is it fair a young girl born in the wrong body cannot play sport? Is it fair to the girl born in the right body that she has to play against someone who might be stronger or faster? Who should decide which girl unfairness gets handed to, because a choice needs to be made in this situation?
Life is unfair, but why make it more unfair than it is?
No I won't because I know a girl who had to suffer through the ignorance of others. She is now who she knew she always was, but the pain of the past still stays with her.
Interesting piece but it strayed from the point made at the beginning: that trans women should not play in women's sports. Life is unfair but why make it more unfair than it already is.
I agree with the author's first footnote--rowing crew is masochistic. I rowed lightweight crew for one year. That was enough for me. And I agree with his emphasis on learning how to deal with losing. I am a mediocre athlete so I've lost many tennis matches over the years. But I still enjoy playing.
It wasn't about trans women playing in women's in and of itself, either here or in the original conversation with Sarah. It was a more nuanced take where there are instances that can absolutely be unfair in a tangible way - trans woman gets a money contract over a woman born in a female body for instance. And there are instances where he believes it's not really an issue (or shouldn't be) - basically any sport where it's not about money or a career. I tend to agree with him because the fairness argument can be used in many places. Why should a poor kid have to compete against a rich kid in anything, be it college admission, sport, etc? Why does a coloured/immigrant person have to be twice as good as a white person to get a promotion in most cases? This reply is not an attack on you so please do not take it in that way, but your post had a great point that tied in with what I wanted to say on the subject. I agree wholeheartedly on rowing by the way, and the lessons sport teaches, which is why the subject is important.
"Life isn't fair but why make it more unfair than it is". That's a valid argument that carries a lot of weight, but let's turn the lens around because fairness often depends on where you are standing. A girl is born in a female body, grows in that body and takes an interest in sport. She has middling talent but is no star, she just enjoys the game and loves being a part of a team. Another girl was born at the same time in a different hospital, but life was unfair to her and she was born in a male body. She grows in that body but life is hard, and she also takes an interest in sport. She has middling talent but is no star, she just enjoys the game and it makes her feel she's the same as everyone else.
In their teens these girls end up at the same school, although the second girl is going through transition. People tell the girl born in the wrong body that it is unfair that she be allowed to play sport against girls born in the right body. She cannot be a member of the girls team and because she's a girl she cannot play on the boys team. Neither girl is at fault here, but society says there is a problem of fairness.
Life is unfair and quite often the answer is not black and white. What is fair or not can depend on which side of the argument you stand. Is it fair a young girl born in the wrong body cannot play sport? Is it fair to the girl born in the right body that she has to play against someone who might be stronger or faster? Who should decide which girl unfairness gets handed to, because a choice needs to be made in this situation?
Life is unfair, but why make it more unfair than it is?
"Another girl was born at the same time in a different hospital, but life was unfair to her and she was born in a male body."
In 10 years you are going to be embarrassed that you wrote this.
No I won't because I know a girl who had to suffer through the ignorance of others. She is now who she knew she always was, but the pain of the past still stays with her.
Let’s check in in 10 years and see how you feel then.