27
I'm really not sure how to feel about this. The coverage seems disconnected from the actual contents of the proposal. The only restriction they're endorsing are restrictions on sports, but even that seems to be woefully misrepresented in the headlines. They're not supporting blanket bans.
“This is where these decisions appropriately lie: with sports’ governing bodies or schools themselves rather than with politicians,” the report says. “While local bodies and associations should minimize unnecessary exclusion, restrictions may be appropriate under some circumstances.”
The report says that the decision should be left to individual sports authorities rather than politicians. And that just seems like the default pro-trans position to me. The report was written by a trans person.
I'm trans myself, and my position on sports is that sure, if you can show me scientifically some clear advantage trans women have over cis women? If you can show me scientifically that trans girls have a massive advantage, more than other advantages we ignore all the time? Sure. In that case I would support a handicap system, or if that were not practical, perhaps a restriction, a notation of records in record books, etc. Whatever option achieves fairness while allowing as much equality as possible. That's how you handle this with intelligence and compassion. Don't just be an ass and assume. First actually determine if there is an unfair advantage. If you actually manage to find one, address it in the most compassionate way possible.
But Republicans don't give a shit about science, neither do most people opposed to trans women in sports. Folks don't know anything about trans people, and they form their dogshit opinions based on their "man in a dress" stereotype. When the truth is, very few sports restrictions can actually be justified based on real measurable evidence. It's all people just assuming trans women are men and running with it. When in fact, trans women are biologically female.
So yeah, I'm really not sure what to think of this. The report seems to suggest the very policies and approaches that were pushed by Democrats before the recent Republican moral panic. If Democrats had a position of, "if you can show me, scientifically, that restrictions on one particular sport are justified based on clear evidence, then I'll support handicap systems or restrictions if nothing else is practical. But if you can't show that, we're not going to restrict people based on your vibes and gut feelings," then I would support that.
My problem with trans sports restrictions is not that I think trans women should be able to compete even if trans women were unfairly dominating sports. The problem is that is not happening, has not happened, and will never happen. Trans women are biologically female and do not have an advantage in sports. The only sports trans women have an advantage in are if they're competing in a men's event in a sport that women have a natural advantage in.
