This could suggest
British Rowing today announces updates made to the 2016 Transgender and Transsexual Policy. A Trans and Non-Binary Inclusion Competition Policy and Procedures (2022) has been released along with new guidance to help the rowing community at the grassroots. These documents can be found on the British Rowing Policies and Guidance page in the Diversity and Inclusion section.
The Trans and Non-Binary Inclusion Competition Policy and Procedures (2022) is a revision of the British Rowing Transgender and Transsexual Policy (2016), which was found by British Rowing to be outdated and not fit for purpose. Following extensive consultation with stakeholder organisations, and taking into account more recent guidance provided by the UK Sports Councils’ Equality Group’s Guidance for Transgender Inclusion in Domestic Sport (September 2021), the revised policy and procedures provides clarity on the process for determining eligibility to compete in a category that does not match a trans or non-binary competitor’s birth sex.
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In recognition that this is a fast-developing area in sport, in which new information is being provided all the time, British Rowing is committed to the regular review of this policy and its procedures to ensure that our approach is consistent with latest guidance, information, or studies. The Trans and Non-Binary Inclusion Competition Policy and Procedures (2022) and associated guidance will be reviewed within 12 months.
Is it new information that’s being provided all the time? Or is it new manipulation, new yelling and whining, new stamping and holding of breath?
We encourage and welcome any feedback to support the ongoing improvement of the policy and its procedures and feedback can be shared via this dedicated Feedback Form.
British Rowing promotes a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of discrimination including transphobia.
We welcome comments, but not comments that deal with the issue.
From the FAQs:
What is the balance between fairness and inclusion?
There is no perfect solution to balancing fairness and inclusion. The UK Sports Councils’ Equality Group’s Guidance for Transgender Inclusion in Domestic Sport (September 2021) determined testosterone levels alone do not guarantee fairness, but it also accepts that in many instances it is the best measure available. There are a number of variables that lend themselves to a competitor’s success in rowing: technical ability, athleticism, fitness, knowledge and the experience and confidence to apply these areas.
Hm. Notice anything missing? Like, having a male body? Having a male body lends itself to a competitor’s success in rowing, I’m pretty sure.
This could suggest that exposure to greater levels of testosterone prior to testosterone suppression through hormone treatment may not necessarily be the decisive factor as to whether a trans person will be more successful in rowing competition.
And so it could also suggest that having a male body may not necessarily be the decisive factor as to whether a man will be more successful in rowing competition against women? Because if that’s the claim it’s bullshit.
I think it’s easy enough to have a policy that balances fairness and inclusion. If you have a male body, even one modified to superficially resemble a female body, you may not compete on the women’s team. This is as fair and inclusive as it needs to be; it is fair because it doesn’t put women at risk, and it is inclusive because it includes everyone legitimately categorized under the word “woman”. Of course, not everyone under the word “woman” will be included, because sports is competitive. I couldn’t even get picked for the dodge ball team in fifth grade until the teacher made a team pick me; I certainly won’t be included in elite sports.
Unless we decide that we need total inclusion. Bad swimmers are swimmers! Allow bad swimmers to participate in sport! Even elite, Olympic level sport! Because otherwise it might hurt my feelings.
I realize that there are people with DSDs who might pose some ambiguity in the categories, but those should be decided on a similar basis. If you have a male body, you cannot compete in women’s sports.
If rowing had a league for mixed sex teams, I expect the winning teams would almost always be a bunch of large men doing the rowing & a small woman as the coxswain. The reasons should be obvious to anyone but a TRA.
Jim Baerg @2:
When I was in college, one of my female dormmates was a coxswain for the men’s team. (MIT, 1980s).
It appears that there is no requirement that the coxswain be of the same sex as the rowers.
Some successful rowing teams have had small children (e.g. an 8-year-old boy) as the coxswain.