We’ve all heard about the so-called “battle of the sexes” -- but it's usually not in the sports arena.
However, I’m gonna wade into some potentially dangerous territory here because of the ongoing drama in the sports world about “biologically intact” men competing in women’s sports.
I’ve blogged about this before (https://www.stevenvporter.com/post/lost-in-translation): How men who are in the process of becoming women in the physical sense – or who are at least on the path to crossing over that physical bridge – being allowed to play/compete in women’s sports.
And how unfair that can be.
Look, I hope most of us can agree that – in many sports like football and wrestling – men have a natural advantage due to their testosterone, which gives them greater muscle mass and – as a result – more strength and stamina.
And now trans-intact goons are disrupting women’s sports like soccer (https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/soccer/opponents-furious-as-transgender-women-dominate-tournament/ar-BB1kDA3g?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=3abbb13953da4085a996cdbcc6433da9&ei=38) swimming and female weightlifting -- pushing them aside and stealing their records. It’s an ongoing debate as to how “woke” a society should be about letting these female wannabes pursue their “dreams.”
I say Poppycock!
The rule here should be absolutely simple: You don’t get to compete against women unless and until all your male junk is GONE.
End of story...uh, well...
The whole drama recently got more ridiculous on the other side of the sex coin.
I just read that a female team of Dutch dart throwers became enraged because a still-male “member” of the team was allowed to compete -- on THEIR team.
(Trans member second from right)
Say what? Why should dart throwing be gender specific? How much strength or stamina does it take to toss a dart at a target a few yards away?
Here we are in the 2020s re-assessing which gender should play in which sport. But is that a good thing? I mean, we’ve come so far in history with some pretty specific boundaries about who plays with -- and against -- who, right?
Men have always exclusively played against other men in tackle football, and baseball (except briefly during WWII), and hockey. Both sexes have developed their own gender-specific sports in soccer, basketball, tennis, water sports, track-and-field events, etc.
And then there’s golf. Do we really need to separate the sexes in golf? I mean, both play on the same courses, right? Does being a male really make a difference in golf? Why can’t there be mixed competitions on the links? True, maybe not that many female players can smack the ball as far as men, but some -- no doubt -- could.
I suspect it probably boils down to male golfers generally not wanting to compete against female players because they might get beaten by one.
But here’s my point: Why not let females play in traditionally male sports – IF they’re good enough? Not all females are delicate little flowers. Some are pretty hefty and muscular and quick -- and able to hold their own against males in football and basketball and hockey, etc., I would bet.
Women are already competing against men in car racing (if that’s a real sport). And why not bowling, or table tennis, or archery? Or whatever?
So why shouldn’t men and women compete in darts???
Bottom line: Over the years, the sports world has evolved and divided itself into sports that have long been and remain exclusively male -- and leagues for sports-loving women who have developed their own versions of soccer and tennis and basketball and track and water sports, etc.
With very little gender overlap.
And everyone has been pretty happy with that system. But now we have to deal with biologically intact men invading women’s sports, and some women overreacting to it in a ridiculous way by getting upset with men throwing darts with and against them.
Hey ladies: Just ban trans men from your teams and sports. They can form their own league and play each other -- or they can come back and try out again when their transition is complete.
Seems to me the whole debate has reached its most sublimely ludicrous moment. At least, I hope so…
OUCH!
And like you said, golf can be more Co-Ed and maybe high schools can form more Co-Ed sports like bowling or darts etc
My main concern is for the trans kids in high school (which the number is rising but still are only a few)
whose mental health and wellbeing is greatly enhanced by team sports where they feel included and talented. Having their own "league" is probably hard due to numbers and such. But I get that it's an unfair competition, etc. I just think that aspect is overlooked when these team sports can likely save lives to those who already feel outcast and lonely.
No easy solution; but maybe large enough high schools could have a competitive team in said sport and when there's enough interest and numbers, an intramural team so to speak where they're not as fussy about record…