Transgender issues, not least in sport
Being an oldie, Rust readers would expect me to be relatively unimpressed by the 21st Century’s general obsessions with “wokeness”, atoning for the alleged sins of colonialism, no-platforming, the advancement of equality and diversity and, of course, the supposed inalienable right of women “to have it all” (which necessarily means that others including employers have to put in place all sorts of special measures to give them the wherewithal to simultaneously retain full-time jobs and be full time mothers).
I’m afraid that I tend pigeon-hole all of the above as the wasteful and irritating conceits of liberal Western societies that have been built – whether they like it or not – upon the resourcefulness and sheer bloody graft of millions of their forebears whose ability to organise themselves, together with their self-generated pioneering spirit of adventure and ambition to better themselves has been the fount of much that has made the human race what it is.
I return today to my pet subject of transgenderism – at which in my view far too many politicians, opinion-formers, activists, businesses and public organisations “bend the knee” in a despairing effort to be in tune with the forces of modern “right on” (no competition or “winners” in case anyone might thereby be made to feel inferior to anyone else) fashionable preaching.
There are two aspects above all which stand out for me – those of “female” institutions/public lavatories and sporting competition.
For me it beggars belief that – according to modern thinking – any person born a male can simply self-identify as transgender and/or “female” and thereafter effectively in law and practice be incarcerated in a female prison (if they have committed a crime warranting custody as a punishment) rather than in a male version.
Or indeed immediately have the inalienable right to use a ladies’ public toilet if they so decide.
In my view the ritualised vilification of celebrities such as author J.K. Rowling for airing their opinion that e.g. only people born female should be allowed access to women’s toilets is both disgraceful and symptomatic of a widespread malaise in society today.
Furthermore, the excessive degree of “crackers-thinking” behind such criticisms also has created a near-terminal situation when it comes to sport. Well, the female version of it anyway.
The vast majority of the scientific and medical communities know and accept the absolute truth that humans born male – whatever they choose to think or indeed do to their bodies subsequently – retain an in-built advantage when it comes to any physical activity that involves fundamental speed, strength and power.
The forces that allow humans born who are born male to become transgender and then compete as “women” in female sporting events or games have inevitably brought female sport to an existential crisis.
It’s hard enough already, for all the reasons we know, to get young girls to take up and persevere in sport long enough to have a stab at becoming elite performers without presenting them with the prospect of having to compete with men who have made a deliberate choice to identify as female.
In making that statement I accept the right of anyone to make a decision to alter their “gender” from male to female – I just don’t believe that those who do should then be allowed to take part in female sport.
Because it isn’t fair.
Here are two media stories that appear today upon the website of the Daily Mail about the American transgender swimmer now called Lia Thomas:
First, an article penned by Dan Wootton upon the issues brought into sharp focus by “her” entry into the pool of competitors in elite female swimming – see here – DAILY MAIL
Second, a piece by Riath Al-Samarrai on the development that Word Athletics president Lord Seb Coe has put his head gingerly over the parapet to give his sixpennyworth upon the controversy – see here – DAILY MAIL
