Tuesday, February 26, 2019

Transgender Sprinters Finish First, Second at Girls Indoor Track Championships in Connecticut


The Associated Press reports that transgender sprinters Terry Miller and Andraya Yearwood finished first and second in the 55-meter dash at the state open indoor track championships in Connecticut -- one of 17 states that allows transgender high school athletes to compete with zero restrictions.

One of their competitors, Selina Soule, says the issue is about fairness on the track with wider implications. The Glastonbury High School junior finished eighth in the 55, missing out on qualifying for the New England regionals by two spots. Soule believes that had Miller and Yearwood not run, she would be on her way to race in Boston in front of more college coaches.


“We all know the outcome of the race before it even starts; it’s demoralizing,” she said. “I fully support and am happy for these athletes for being true to themselves. They should have the right to express themselves in school, but athletics have always had extra rules to keep the competition fair.”
Martina Navratilova was called transpohobic after she inarticulately raised these issues -- so then the whole thing became about what she wrote rather than what she was writing about. So tell me, does Ms. Soule sound transphobic? I too raised the issue of fairness but never in a disrespectful way -- and I was also blasted by trans activists. (Based on what we know now, I support trans females on HRT competing -- as does the IOC and NCAA -- but not trans females who do nothing or trans boys on testosterone competing versus cisgender girls.) It seems to me that Martina's poor choice of words are the best thing that could have happened to people in favor of across-the-board trans access to sports because they can hide behind her words without ever actually having to address situations like this.

Keep reading HERE.

4 comments:

Matthew said...

Soule's argument does not sound transphobic; Martina's arguments do. This is transphobic, not hyperbolic: "To put the argument at its most basic: a man can DECIDE to be female, take hormones if required by whatever sporting organization is concerned, win everything in sight and perhaps earn a small fortune, and then reverse his decision and go back to making babies if he so desires." This is why trans people and their allies are shutting her down. You'd have a better argument had Martina expressed herself respectfully instead of calling trans athletes "cheaters" and the idea of competing against them "insane." What is insane is the idea that trans athletes might be announcing they're trans to have a better shot at winning. I wish she would disavow that tack and take the Soule route.

Kenneth M. Walsh said...

Martina has said this isn't about her -- and she's right and wrong.

Yes, she inserted herself into the debate so has to be held accountable for her words and views. But no, what she's said shouldn't render actual argument about fairness invalid -- which it totally has -- so I'm happy to hear you acknowledge the debate isn't inherently transphobic.

But your comparison that what Martina said was like a Rick Santorum saying gay marriage would lead to men marrying their dogs didn't track for me. I get what you're trying to say. But what Martina said was something that actually could be done WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE RULES -- hence her using this extreme example. Nowhere does the law legalizing men to marry men and women to marry women does it say someone can marry a pet.


And seriously, you still think trans males with their full biological selves intact competing against cis females is fair? Almost sounds "insane" and like "cheating" to me! (Based on what we know now, I support trans athletes who do HRT, but not ones who do nothing.) How can anyone think that? (Seriously curious how.)

Dave in Texas said...

I'm with you Kenneth- I just don't think it is fair.

jaragon said...

Let's get real- so a man who chooses to become a woman competes as man- or a trans person - they still have the physical advantages of being male. This is why in some sports men and women compete in separate events .