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Trans Teen Hatches Nefarious Plot To Undergo Years Of Medical Treatments And Counseling To Win At Swimming (www.theonion.com)

submitted 10 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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[–] [email protected] 24 points 10 months ago (5 children)

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?

[–] [email protected] 28 points 10 months ago (4 children)

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.

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