Sports authorities should ban trans women from competing against cis women. Fundamental fairness demands it.
Yet sports authorities worldwide have been allowing trans women to do just that. Fairness be damned.
Trans women banned
Harry Potter author JK Rowling has been the face of efforts to enforce this ban. And it has cost her a lot.
Millions of disaffected fans are boycotting her Pottermore empire – books and all. Except she couldn’t care less. But she’s also being targeted by the slings and arrows of outrageous trolls. And they are wounding her so much that she’s suing the worst offenders and winning..
But I, too, have been doing my part to enforce this ban. I published a post restating my misgivings on Thursday, March 23, at 6:23 AM. In short, I don’t think trans women should be allowed to compete against cis women in any sport.
But I do not believe in coincidences. So you’ll forgive me for thinking my post had something to do with breaking news later that day. Because here is what Reuters reported at 7:45 PM:
World Athletics has banned transgender women from competing in elite female competitions and tightened testosterone restrictions for other athletes, the governing body said on Thursday.
World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said that the decision to exclude transgender women who had gone through male puberty was based ‘on the overarching need to protect the female category’.
Trans women vs. trans women is fair
Trust me, now that trans women can’t compete in track and field, they won’t be allowed to compete in swimming, soccer, or any other sport. (Sorry, Lia Thomas, no Olympics for you!)
To paraphrase Coe, not allowing them to compete is a categorical imperative. That’s to protect the integrity and fairness of women’s sports.
Caster Semenya is not transgender. She has “sex development differences” that make her subject to this ruling.
But a surprising number of African athletes seem to have similar “differences. So you might think this ruling is targeting them. But, as my friendly jab at Lia Thomas indicates, Black trans women are not the only ones affected by this ban.
Let the games begin!
Legacy Note: With over 5,600 posts spanning 20 years, I am easily the most prolific blogger on the most eclectic array of topics on the web. That makes The iPINIONS Journal an unparalleled archive of informed political and cultural commentary. Visit the ARCHIVES section in the sidebar or search by topic. You won’t find a more consistent, independent voice on world affairs.