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Fighting for Acceptance

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    The artical below is an about trans people gaining acceptance to play sports as the gender they identify with. The reason i chose this is because I felt those that identify as trans are often fighting for acceptance in all areas of our life. Currently I am fighting for my families acceptance and respect that I am transitioning. My family is always disrespecting me by using the wrong name and pronouns because the transition is to hard for them. Well I found this artical and I thought it was inspiring that these athletes were gaining aceptance in an area that is a huge part of who they are.

     

    http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/07/us/transgender-high-school-students-gain-admission-to-sports-teams.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

     

    Feel free to comment on the artical or give some insight about your own stuggles with gaining acceptance.

      June 2, 2013 12:47 AM BST
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  • I can understand the need to be accepted. But there is a bit of a problem in some ways..particularly when sports are concerned. At what point does a MTF gain an unfair sporting advantage because of years of male hormones in the body. With the person in this news item, that doesn't come into the equation... but there are other situations it may give an unfair advantage.

    <p>Doanna Highland</p>
      June 2, 2013 1:06 AM BST
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  • Moderator
    77

    True in some ways it could give some unfair advantages, but would someone be willing to go through transition just to gain an advantage in playing sports? Also even for a M2F once they start taking Estrogen their muscle mass decreases and their body structure becomes more like a biological woman.

      June 2, 2013 1:55 AM BST
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  • Hi Jasper.

    The question of transsexuals in Sport is stymied once again by anachronistic attitudes and practices.

    I don't have the data at hand but several Sports are witnessing a closing of the gap between male and female performance.

    This of course does not mean that male superiority is standing still but that it is being seriously challenged.   

    Certainly, this is a direct result of the deconstruction of the Patriarchal Model of Masculinity and Femininity.

    We can thank the early Feminists for most of this work.

     

    The other factor is Modern Technology.

    Advances in diet and training techniques, as well as equal access to training facilities, Sports Scientists and other Professionals is creating a level playing field.

    For example, we have several female National Cricket Players who could easily displace less able players and take a position in the Australian Men's Cricket Team.

    But this is where the arguement is weakened.

    When the gender is reversed, unfair advantage is touted.

     

    What the modern example of Gender in Sport illustrates is the absurdity of the male/female polemic.

    But we already knew that.

    I  think it was Paolo Friere who analysed the sexual division of labour in industrialised nations and seriously debunked the sexist argument.

     

    Regards

    Chalice.  

     

    This post was edited by Former Member at June 2, 2013 2:17 AM BST
      June 2, 2013 2:05 AM BST
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  • I see what you did there

     

     Embarassed

     

    This post was edited by Former Member at June 2, 2013 2:16 AM BST
      June 2, 2013 2:11 AM BST
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  • It is intersting that they drag the issue of which locker room the transgendered person will use into the argument! 

    <p>Alice</p> <p>"You can be whoever you are in Shangri-la" - Neil Innes </p>
      June 2, 2013 10:54 AM BST
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  • Alice the law in the UK is quite, specific as to common changing rooms, showers and dormitories..   Your not allowed as a pre-op transexual. (1) To protect a transexual from harasment or ridicule.  (2) So as not to cause offence to others.   Even if you have a gender recognition certificate (legal change of gender status)

    Cristine Jennifer Shye.  B/L.  B/Acc
      June 2, 2013 11:28 AM BST
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  • A couple of things Chalice

    1) I don't think the "deconstruction of the Patriarchal Model of Masculinity and Femininity." has occurred in any way but a minor one. Certainly they have come closer together but if this deconstruction has happened then...why are we here? Why do we bother to take hormones and have SRS etc?

     

    2) I understand that in many sports women are actually better than men and likewise for the opposite. But there is a difference between the physical requirements for cricket, American football, European style football (soccer as we refer to it as), hockey, weight lifting, rowing, baseball, basketball, and a myriad of other sports.

     Personally, I prefer to watch ladies hockey.

    How many women are in the European football (soccer) league. In fact, I seem to remember one of the female weight-lifters on the Russian female weight-lifting team that managed to sprout a fine set of whiskers. Obviously, there was an investigation and the person was disqualified for the use of male hormones... among other things. As for the argument being weakened as you mentioned...of course it is weakened. Besides, even if a MTF transgender loses muscle mass after taking hormones, the fact that once muscles have developed (through the presence of male hormones in early life)...it is much easier to "re-develop" those muscles through training than develop them from "scratch" without the presence of male hormones.

     

    3) The standard weight distribution, bone structure, musculature, and even circulatory systems between men and women is quite different and is primarily due to the presence of hormones while young and this does present an unfair advantage to one or the other... depending on the activity.

     

    4) All these differences would be negligible of course, if the person had transitioned prior to puberty.

    <p>Doanna Highland</p>
      June 3, 2013 12:36 AM BST
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