Transgender Athletes

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Jovi Runner Aug 2019 8:55pm, 11 Aug 2019 6,416 posts	0 Jovi Runner Thornton Runner- as Mrs Jigs says writing on the internet it is n9t always easy tp express ypyr giews 8n tge way ypu cam fzce to fav3. I may come across as judgemental - I really am not but feel like my womanhood (Apologies for my own Lack of medical terminology) is being appropriated by men. As a reasonably competitive FV50 a6hleye who often wibs/places in my age category it seems grossly unfair that someone can simply call themselves a women & appropriate my record or prize. It is very disillusioning & demoralizing.
Velociraptor Aug 2019 8:57pm, 11 Aug 2019 42,692 posts	0 Velociraptor I would further add that as well as people in TR's position with a close relative who is transgender, there are people on Fetch, not all of whom will have or will want to identify themselves, who ARE transgender. When posting, we should be mindful of this. I would like this to be a thread on which an athlete who is transgender or otherwise identifies as non-binary, can post from their perspective and be heard and respected.
ThorntonRunner Aug 2019 9:01pm, 11 Aug 2019 2,358 posts	0 ThorntonRunner it's not ideal. We don't know what long term effects there may be because the medical treatment is a recent phenomena, I also fear for the discrimination/transphobia that he may experience, and I have concerns about his potential for finding a partner, and the difficulties of developing a relationship as a trans person (at what point do you tell a potential partner you are trans?). But, when you've spent months as a parent watching every last change in your child's mood and fearing that any dip in mood could be a precursor to another suicide attempt, you look for the least worse scenario. That sounds incredibly negative as an approach! Nothing in life is risk-free - at this stage and looking at the three years since he transitioned I feel the decision he made is the correct one for him.
DocMoye Aug 2019 9:02pm, 11 Aug 2019 29,480 posts	0 DocMoye Thank you TR for your, as always, open an honest discussion of your experiences as the parent of a transgender young man. For most of us first hand experience is very limited, and that can make it difficult to understand. I have no strong opinion on transgender people in sport as I feel I am still unaware of all the facts and considerations.
PenW Aug 2019 9:10pm, 11 Aug 2019 1,748 posts	0 PenW An interesting perspective here: telegraph.co.uk “Breakthrough research has revealed for the first time evidence that the brain activity of people who feel they inhabit the wrong body closely resembles that of the gender they want to embrace.” “biological males with gender dysphoria - the experience of discomfort or distress due to their biological sex - had a brain structure and neurological patterns similar to biological females, and vice versa.”
Serendippily Aug 2019 9:11pm, 11 Aug 2019 13,595 posts	0 Serendippily I think it is difficult and thank you TR for your summary. I hope there will grow categories of mixed sports where athletes can compete fiercely without fear of condemnation. However where sports are grouped into similar skills brackets: by age, by gender, by professionalism, by technology - they become dull to watch or compete in the result is too heavily weighted in one athletes favour by virtue of an outside influence. F1 had the same issues. And poor Semenya who is the target of so much when running is what she is good at Given that parkrun is not a race they could allow you to run in a gender neutral category I suppose I’m so far from being an age cat winner I wouldn’t much care
Jovi Runner Aug 2019 9:12pm, 11 Aug 2019 6,417 posts	0 Jovi Runner Only one example I accept but one I can speak to as I know the athletes concerned. A clubmate of mine running in the FV50 category ranked 27th after running a marathon at close to championship place (she was almost age 55 at the time). I know how much time she devoted to this making many sacrifices - ohysical and monetary to achieve this & honestly could have done no more from a dedicaiotn to training perspective. That same year 400(!) M50 men ran quicker than her while on 26 women did. I cannot understand how anyone looking at this can suggest that therely is no benefit gained by transgender M-F transitioning or that the male body does not have genetic advantages over the female that cannot be removed simply by taking hormones or lowering testosterone. I really am open to someone showing me from a scientific point of view why I am wrong but to date I have yet to hear anyone present any sound scientific fact that shows that males have no advantage over female bodied athletes. Whilst showing compassion to transgender people and treating them with dignity and respect I do not think it is treating women with dignity and respect in allowing them to compete in the protected female class in sport. I am sure some of us here can recall a time when we ere told smoking wasn't harmful!
Jovi Runner Aug 2019 9:14pm, 11 Aug 2019 6,418 posts	0 Jovi Runner Mrs Jigs - isn't that the age old argument that men used to use when trying to stop women from voting that a female brain coudn't cope as it was different to men's. I'm not wholly convinced that is the case but again, maybe there is some sort of difference?
Jovi Runner Aug 2019 9:17pm, 11 Aug 2019 6,419 posts	0 Jovi Runner Thorton Runner - My main issue with M-F trainsitiong athlets is that many of those who are stealing women's records haven't actually proceeded through the transition process such as your child has but have simply labelled themselves as identifying as a women whilst remaining all male physically (I think thats the most polite way of putting what Ilm trying to describe LOL).
Jambomo Aug 2019 9:28pm, 11 Aug 2019 6,859 posts	0 Jambomo It is such a difficult area because we are truly going into unknown territory where there is no ready answer available and governing bodies really can’t just decide on a way forward. Its not just a case of fitting people in somewhere as the right for transgender athletes to compete need to be balanced with other people’s right to fair competition. My main hope is that society becomes accepting of transgender people and they can live as they wish without harm or bigotry against them.