Won’t somebody please think of the cheaters?
“Nobody wins in this” — the cycling community reacts to new UCI transgender policy
Subhead: Athletes and advocates on both sides of the trans-athlete inclusion debate share their opinions
It’s not “the trans-athlete inclusion” debate, it’s the fairness to women debate. It’s not fair to women to let men compete in women’s sports. It’s that simple.
Starting July 17, 2023, transgender women who have transitioned after puberty are banned from competing in the women’s category at all UCI-sanctioned events, cycling’s governing body announced today.
Good, but incomplete. Trans women should compete in the men’s category, because they’re men. It’s that simple.
In a press release, the UCI said it was “necessary to take this measure to protect the female class and ensure equal opportunities.”
So Cycling Weekly chooses to frame it as cruelty to men who claim to be women.
The heartbreak was certainly felt throughout the internet as trans and cis women athletes alike expressed their despondence.
“I don’t agree with the UCI’s decision to ban trans women from competing in the women’s category. I know this is a complicated topic for many (yes, professional racing complicates this for sure), but I keep returning to what I believe to be the purpose of sport: to offer opportunities for enjoyment, self-betterment, personal challenge, camaraderie (etc.) for all,” writes Haley Smith, a Canadian Olympian and Life Time Grand Prix contestant.
“Maybe you believe that trans women racing against those assigned female at birth is unfair or wrong. But I truly believe that a ban is much MORE wrong…I don’t have an answer, but I know in my gut that this isn’t the right decision.
I don’t think that’s her “gut.” I think it’s years of whining and screaming and throwing tantrums by the trans communinny.
Already banned from competing in the women’s category in her homeland, British cyclist and transwoman Emily Bridges released an emotional statement on her social media.
“It’s the hope that gets you. The thought that there’s some small possibility that they’re not going to wield the axe and cut you from the thing you (used to) love keeps some semblance of hope for the future of this environment. But that hope is gone now,” she states.
Hey, Bridges, have you ever stopped to think about women’s hopes in all this?
American athlete and longtime trans-advocate Molly Cameron expressed more frustration than heartbreak, vowing to boycott any event that adopts the UCI’s new policy. A longtime cyclocross racer, Cameron raced internationally until the UCI’s first eligibility policies banned her from competing in the women’s category in the early aughts.
So he’s a man? Aka a trans woman? Cycling Weekly should have said that up front.
Comments
18 responses to “Nobody wins?”
So Molly Cameron is advocating for thereself?
And Emily Bridges can totally ride with the boys. It might not validate their belief in their female-gendered soul, but Emily Bridges has to accept the reality of their male body and the advantages it gives over female bodies.
As if Bridges riding with the boys won’t provide the “opportunities for enjoyment, self-betterment, personal challenge, camaraderie (etc.)” that this is really all about.
It can’t be about the winning can it?
It’s always that, isn’t it? I was getting breakfast and CNN was causing me nausea by their tagline “American men in widespread identity crisis”. Apparently pointing out that some models of masculinity are “toxic” is causing burning resentment in men. Yeah, so? Maybe it’s time for them to revisit why someone says that. But no, we’re supposed to be kind and understanding and recognize how hard it is to be a man. That was bad enough…but when they used Andrew Tate as an example? Wow.
One problem with a lot of these reports about transwomen has been noted here before, A lot of people hear “woman” when they hear “transwoman” and don’t relate to that being a man. In fact, a lot of people I know don’t understand which is MtF and which is FtM. That makes it harder when they won’t use the word “male” in describing transwomen.
Plus getting all tired out for nap time.
Seriously, why not just create unofficial recreational teams specifically for the purpose of including men who identify as transgender? Everyone can play, completely inclusive. If Erica’s watching her little 4 year old sister Evie then Evie can be second third baseman. Hell, eliminate scoring if that cuts down on the enjoyment. Make up the rules that express who YOU are — on the fly. Girls just wanna have fun. Trophies for all.
“Nobody wins” seems to mean “the people I wanted to win didn’t win”.
I am unclear what “transitioned after [male] puberty” is supposed to allow, specifically. Medical transition? Social transition? Hormones? Surgery?
The British Cycling rules updated in May are more restrictive, saying nothing about puberty:
Without all the gender ideology language, this says: anyone can compete in the ‘Open’ category; only women can compete in the ‘Female’ category, and then only if they are not taking male hormones; anti-doping rules continue to apply.
Nothing about puberty. This seems to me a major distinction, despite the claim in the article that UCI is “follow[ing] other sports as well as national cycling governing bodies such as British Cycling which introduced similar rules in May”.
That would mean someone like Jazz Jennings, who never experienced any part of male puberty due to GnRH agonists followed by female hormones and then castration. Considering the effects of those drugs and procedures, it is pretty unlikely that such a person would be a competitive athlete.
Yes, Molly is a man who identifies as a woman. And there is zero chance cyclingweekly did not know this, because look at him.
Oh good grief.
Heartbreak!! OMG, what could possibly be worse? And yes, these poor agonised ‘heartbroken’ men are perfectly free to continue to enjoy the sport they profess to love.
@4 that sounds like a perfectly sensible (given the language manipulations they’re compelled to comply with) policy that should be fair to and inclusive of everyone.
@7 good grief indeed. He’s not even trying, not that it matters.
Piglet @ 5
I’m sure that a Jazz Jennings is the image they have in mind, but I’m wondering about the wording and what it is supposed to mean. With places banning the use of puberty blockers (hurrah!), is a boy who started wearing dresses and claiming to be a girl in 3rd grade but never had any medical treatment eligible? As best as I can find, it says “transitioned after male puberty” rather than simply “has gone through male puberty”. As we here all know, gender ideology words are all squishy, including “transition”.
Sackbut @ 10
I suspect that if a boy tries that, UCI will immediately clarify the policy to the effect that “by ‘transition’ we mean medical transition because we know that you know that wearing a dress doesn’t affect physical development, knock it off with the disingenuous word games”. Competitive cycling is infamously dirty; UCI have been playing Doping Whack-A-Mole for decades now, and I think it’s finally dawned on them that they have to stamp out gender doping in the women’s races before it gets as embarrassingly ubiquitous as pharmaceutical doping in the men’s.
Am I misreading this, or is Cameron really vowing to boycott any event that he’s not entitled to participate in anyway?
“Nobody wins in this…”
Well, if women and girls are considered to be society’s nobodys, then I guess that statement is correct.
This is such horseshit.
Casual sport may be about those things. But we’re talking here about competitive sports. The time, money, and attention spent on competitive sports–at least MALE competitive sports–put the lie to this glurge.
I’m in tears. TEARS! over the fact that older men are not going to be able to compete for medals against younger women.
And tell me, guys, has Molly passed her last fuckable day or WHAT.
@Acolyte, Camoron iis taking the principled stand of never joining a club that would not have him as a member.
I know Cameron wants to compete in the female division, but can’t he compete in the male division at these same events? If so, I think his boycott of the event (because he’d be forced to compete in the division he doesn’t want) at least makes sense, silly as it may be. If he’s not actually eligible to compete in the male division, then sure, it’s a pointless boycott.
Sackbut, I agree mostly. There is the possibility that some of those events may have qualifying times. He may be unable to meet the male/open qualifying time. Even if there is no qualifying time, he’s almost certainly not competitive, and even though trans go on about doing sport for the love, personal development etc etc, it’s also very clearly about winning.