Navratilova slams "mediocre male athletes competing as women"

[TonyDown]

On 11/24/2023 at 8:21 PM, marylander1940 said:

“Women’s sports is not the place for mediocre male athletes who compete as women,”

Martina Navratilova 

OP note: It's more than that or that's the reason they transition in some cases? 

Martina Navratilova makes stance clear on men playing women's sports, responds to latest NCAA controversy

WWW.FOXNEWS.COM

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Tennis legend Martina Navratilova made her stance on men in women's sports clear on Tuesday and responded to another controversy in NCAA women's swimming.

Chris Evert discussed Rene Richard's unfair advantage in women's tennis when Richard's transitioned M - F. You can Google it if interested.  This does seem like a sports ethics question.

One might ask why these athletes choose to compete when they have this advantage.  Perhaps the sports ethics folks can address it.

I don't know the answer.

[marylander1940]

11 hours ago, TonyDown said:

Chris Evert discussed Rene Richard's unfair advantage in women's tennis when Richard's transitioned M - F. You can Google it if interested.  This does seem like a sports ethics question.

One might ask why these athletes choose to compete when they have this advantage.  Perhaps the sports ethics folks can address it.

I don't know the answer.

No need to google it, I'm aware of it. 

 

 

Edited March 23, 2024 by marylander1940

[BSR]

On 3/22/2024 at 7:30 PM, TonyDown said:

Chris Evert discussed Rene Richard's unfair advantage in women's tennis when Richard's transitioned M - F. You can Google it if interested.  This does seem like a sports ethics question.

One might ask why these athletes choose to compete when they have this advantage.  Perhaps the sports ethics folks can address it.

I don't know the answer.

In 1977 Renee Richards sued for and won the right to compete on the WTA Tour but has since changed her stance:  

"Having lived for the past 30 years, I know if I’d had surgery at the age of 22, and then at 24 went on the tour, no genetic woman in the world would have been able to come close to me. And so I’ve reconsidered my opinion.  There is one thing that a transsexual woman unfortunately cannot expect to be allowed to do, and that is to play professional sports in her chosen field. She can get married, live as woman, do all of those other things, and no one should ever be allowed to take them away from her. But this limitation—that’s just life. I know because I lived it."

[Andy768]

I think it's possible to question the fairness of trans-women competing in sports (and possibly other arenas) against cis-women without crossing the line into ridiculing transgender people - which unfortunately I think Navratilova has done.

[BSR]

6 hours ago, Andy768 said:

I think it's possible to question the fairness of trans-women competing in sports (and possibly other arenas) against cis-women without crossing the line into ridiculing transgender people - which unfortunately I think Navratilova has done.

How did Navratilova ridicule trans people?  I'm not seeing it.

[Andy768]

On 3/24/2024 at 8:46 PM, BSR said:

How did Navratilova ridicule trans people?  I'm not seeing it.

Well, I just imagine that if I were a trans woman and someone referred to me as a "mediocre male athlete competing as a woman," I think I would feel like they're trying to jab/ridicule me and my identity as much as (if not more so) than make an argument about fairness in sports. 

Of course Navratilova - who is a legend whom I respect immensely - has the right to express herself however she chooses. I just think when there's a choice, why not choose kindness? Identity issues can be tough for anyone; I say this as a cis man. So, I mean, just being respectful of other people's struggles by not ridiculing them doesn't seem like too big an ask to me. And I do think there can be a point at which there's too much walking on eggshells, but that doesn't mean we forgo basic etiquette.

[Marc in Calif]

9 hours ago, Andy768 said:

Well, I just imagine that if I were a trans woman and someone referred to me as a "mediocre male athlete competing as a woman"

That's not ridiculing all transgender people. It's describing only certain trans athletes in competitive sports. 

Edited March 26, 2024 by Marc in Calif

[BSR]

1 hour ago, Marc in Calif said:

That's not ridiculing all transgender people. It's describing only certain trans athletes in competitive sports. 

Referring back to the article I cited earlier, I think Navratilova is referring specifically to trans women who have not undergone hormone therapy (69% haven't) and are therefore biologically and physically the same as any man. 

Even trans women who have undergone hormone therapy still enjoy physical advantages (e.g., height, armspan, greater lung capacity) over cis women.

[Marc in Calif]

1 hour ago, BSR said:

Referring back to the article I cited earlier, I think Navratilova is referring specifically to trans women who have not undergone hormone therapy (69% haven't) and are therefore biologically and physically the same as any man. 

Even trans women who have undergone hormone therapy still enjoy physical advantages (e.g., height, armspan, greater lung capacity) over cis women.

True. But you also believe that Martina did not "ridicule" trans people with her description.

On 3/24/2024 at 5:46 PM, BSR said:

How did Navratilova ridicule trans people?  I'm not seeing it.

So we both agree that the following statement was incorrect.

On 3/24/2024 at 11:19 AM, Andy768 said:

I think it's possible to question the fairness of trans-women competing in sports (and possibly other arenas) against cis-women without crossing the line into ridiculing transgender people - which unfortunately I think Navratilova has done.

 

[marylander1940]

 

 

College sports association bans biological men from women’s sports | Catholic News Agency

WWW.CATHOLICNEWSAGENCY.COM

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Colleges such as Benedictine College and Ave Maria University are members of the NAIA, which issued a ban on biological men competing in women’s sports.

 

[Pipe1940]

As a gay man, I am 100% agree with Martina.

[marylander1940]

[marylander1940]

 

Common sense has prevailed! 

Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas fails in challenge to rules that bar her from elite women's races

SPORTS.YAHOO.COM

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Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas failed in her challenge against rules that stop her from competing in elite women’s races because judges ruled she did not have...

 

[pubic_assistance]

1 hour ago, marylander1940 said:

Common sense has prevailed!

Thank God.

There's so little common sense in the news these days.

[marylander1940]

I still have doubts! 

Imane Khelif unveils new look in video after Olympics gender...

NYPOST.COM

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She accessorized her floral top and matching earrings with the Olympic gold medal she received after defeating China’s Yang Liu in the 2024 Olympics.

 

[samhexum]

On 11/28/2023 at 1:10 AM, BSR said:

As of the last ATP ranking, 372 men have a single ATP ranking point, and they're ranked between #1670 and #2042.  My guess is more than half of those guys could beat #1 Iga Swiatek (hey, just my opinion).

What a dope she is...

 

Iga Swiatek, the women’s world No. 2 tennis player, has received a one-month doping ban after testing positive for the banned substance trimetazidine (TMZ).

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) issued the ban on Wednesday November 27 and announced it publicly on Thursday, after ruling that the player’s level of fault was at the lowest end of the range for ‘No Significant Fault or Negligence’ and not intentional. 

Having already served 22 days of the ban while the process was ongoing, Swiatek — a five-time Grand Slam winner who has spent more than 100 weeks as world No. 1 — has eight more days to serve and so will be eligible to play at the Australian Open in January.