I seem to remember a girl that had to go home from the Olympic because of mental stress, or was it because she wasn’t winning and was being a whiney sore loser. Next she retires and poof like magic she’s back in the next Olympics. There you go.
Simone withdrew because of a well known condition called the twisties, which involves an inability to know where one is in space -- a dangerous condition for a gymnast.
I can’t believe that in the twenty first century we awe still,arguing about such basic things as the differences between men and women. It is really ludicrous. Everyone knows that men are stronger taller have more lung capacity, etc. why do we let the trans cult rule us?
The denigration of Riley Gaines for not being on the podium is an egregious insult. She tied a large male, he got the trophy at the event and she was told to shut up as were her teammates. They were expected to reeducate themselves on trans nonsense. She also was appalled that she and her teammates were forced to share their locker rooms with a fully intact bare naked male up to 18 times a week, including multiple workouts and competitions. As if indecent exposure isn’t a thing if the male says he’s a woman with a girl penis. I am a lifelong Democrat and my views are dismissed as just another MAGA hate monger when feminists were the first to call bullshite. Nikki Hiltz, the so called nonbinary track runner who maintains her female biology to compete in the female category has obnoxiously denigrated a marathon runner. Natalie Daniels objected to a male getting a women’s number at the Boston marathon. Hiltz ridiculed her mercilessly. Natalie ran a very respectable 2:50 six months after giving birth. Her club demanded she apologize and dropped her when she refused. XX-XY is now her affiliation. And she just won the Marine Corps Historic half marathon.
The bowling and ultra running communities would beg to differ on this matter. It is NOT as cut and dry in those sports as swimming or gymnastics. The stories of Kelly Kulick and Liz Johnson (bowling) or Ann Trason and Courtney Dauwalter (ultras) do offer us exceptions to the rule in regards to this topic. While I reasonably attest to the notion that biological males competing against women are very much at a disadvantage, you also cannot tell that story without annotating those that not only competed against their male counterparts, but were champions, in the process.
Gaines v. Biles is a case study in arguably, the greatest Olympian to ever exist, speaking out of turn by making broad and foolish statements regarding Gaines position and body composition. Her apology, to say the least, was carefully worded and comes off as managed. However, I believe Biles, as an American citizen, is entitled to her free speech on this matter, as well. Her status in the world of sports is without peer, in my estimation. Her public statements regarding abuse at the USA Gymnastics level, mental health, and other topics give her currency to speak freely on other topics. She is wrong, in this instance. But free speech ONLY works when It protects speech we don't like. I hope for Biles that this error doesn't prevent her from coming to the public discourse on social issues. Gaines, as well, ought to be offered that same grace from liberal-corporate circles when she advocates for excluding biological males out of women's sports.
Thanks for these thoughtful comments, Thomas. Yes, women sometimes win in ultra-distance and ultra-cold water swimming, too. And equestrian. There are exceptions; we never say men are better "in every single imaginable sport."
And yes to free speech, absolutely.
And yes, Gaines is a brave, intelligent, effective leader and advocate for female athletes even though as you note, there are many Democrats who feel offended by or bewildered by her MAGA enthusiasm. We know her, respect her, collaborate with her.
At the Women's Sports Policy Working Group, we are seeing a resurgence of feminist interest among women and men across the political divide; a silver lining in the midst of many other conflicts and challenges.
Yes, the LPGA recently stepped up with this much-improved but not-quite-there policy, summarized as: Males are not allowed in elite competitions unless they transitioned before age 12 and have maintained testosterone levels of <2.5 nanomoles per liter.
Any time nanomoles are mentioned, you can tell they're missing this biological fact: Weakened men are not women, and women should not be forced to compete against them. Even before puberty, boys have a performance advantage over girls; that's why swimming and track for youth have separate male/female categories.
Martina, GREAT point about nobody registering for the third, trans category! People always bring this up when we discuss women’s sports. It may not be a viable solution.
My hope is that the women’s sports debate will turn the tide on public opinion, since it’s just simply and obviously unfair.
In most social justice issues, like civil rights or gay rights, the terms fair and equal are on the same side. “I can get married, it’s only fair a gay person can get married. I can drink from this water fountain, it’s only fair everyone can drink from this water fountain.” I’m not special or superior.
Trans rights are different, equal is not fair, mostly to women.
Hopefully, stopping the medicalization of minors, which is exponentially worse than the sports problem, will follow suit. As a lifelong Democrat often accused of being a nasty conservative when this issue comes up, I always point to the fact that the world’s most liberal countries (in Scandinavia) are more aligned with the American GOP on this issue than the American Dems.
One of the primary goals of the gay and lesbian rights movement was to gain the legal right of gay and lesbian individuals to marry their same-sexed partners. The movement was not focused on coercing straight people to marry lesbian and gay partners. "Trans" is precisely the opposite. They do want to coerce women who are not interested in them to couple with them, if not marry them. They seem to want to be in female contexts much of the time, imposing themselves and their craziness on others.
It’s not really viable as males who insist they are women are only interested in the women’s category. Males who have proclaimed nonbinary status like that category because they can qualify for events under the women’s qualifying standards. Females calling themselves nonbinary can compete in the nonbinary category even if they are on testosterone. The insanity of this shite is mind boggling. I was a competitive long distance runner and ran my first Boston in 1978 only a few years after women could participate, and 6 years before it was an Olympic event. I was acquainted with many of those women who were ground breakers. I was a decent local/regional runner but I love my sport. I’m 78 and I ran starting at 30, competed for decades until fairly recent health issues. When I first started we hand to buy gear in the boys department as there was nothing for women. The early women distance runners would compete in sweat pants, boys clothes or tennis outfits. I remember meeting a woman in DC in 1977 where I lived who started making clothes in her basement, her business evolved into Moving Comfort running clothes for women. I digress, but women have worked so long and hard for the right to fair, serious competition. I will not capitulate to the trans taliban.
Nice to know they are still supporting women athletes. I first heard about their clothes at a talk for beginning runners around 1977 and I was impressed and excited by their project. If memory serves it was put on by the Washington Running Club. I wore Moving Comfort for as long as they were on the market. ❣️
Thanks to Martina, and all of you at WSPWG, for your unwavering, forthright advocacy for women and girls. Simone Biles absolutely does need to take Martina up on the offer of a private conversation. She has a lot to learn—and she definitely owes Riley Gaines a personal, public apology. What she wrote about Gaines that is shown here is appalling—I write this as someone who does not share Gaines’s politics overall, but, to quote Martina: “Riley is not the problem.” Simone Biles, however, has shown herself to be part of the problem. So disappointing.
I seem to remember a girl that had to go home from the Olympic because of mental stress, or was it because she wasn’t winning and was being a whiney sore loser. Next she retires and poof like magic she’s back in the next Olympics. There you go.
Oh I see I misunderstood, my apologies!♥️
Simone withdrew because of a well known condition called the twisties, which involves an inability to know where one is in space -- a dangerous condition for a gymnast.
I can’t believe that in the twenty first century we awe still,arguing about such basic things as the differences between men and women. It is really ludicrous. Everyone knows that men are stronger taller have more lung capacity, etc. why do we let the trans cult rule us?
The denigration of Riley Gaines for not being on the podium is an egregious insult. She tied a large male, he got the trophy at the event and she was told to shut up as were her teammates. They were expected to reeducate themselves on trans nonsense. She also was appalled that she and her teammates were forced to share their locker rooms with a fully intact bare naked male up to 18 times a week, including multiple workouts and competitions. As if indecent exposure isn’t a thing if the male says he’s a woman with a girl penis. I am a lifelong Democrat and my views are dismissed as just another MAGA hate monger when feminists were the first to call bullshite. Nikki Hiltz, the so called nonbinary track runner who maintains her female biology to compete in the female category has obnoxiously denigrated a marathon runner. Natalie Daniels objected to a male getting a women’s number at the Boston marathon. Hiltz ridiculed her mercilessly. Natalie ran a very respectable 2:50 six months after giving birth. Her club demanded she apologize and dropped her when she refused. XX-XY is now her affiliation. And she just won the Marine Corps Historic half marathon.
Yes to all of this. Thanks, Betty!
The bowling and ultra running communities would beg to differ on this matter. It is NOT as cut and dry in those sports as swimming or gymnastics. The stories of Kelly Kulick and Liz Johnson (bowling) or Ann Trason and Courtney Dauwalter (ultras) do offer us exceptions to the rule in regards to this topic. While I reasonably attest to the notion that biological males competing against women are very much at a disadvantage, you also cannot tell that story without annotating those that not only competed against their male counterparts, but were champions, in the process.
Gaines v. Biles is a case study in arguably, the greatest Olympian to ever exist, speaking out of turn by making broad and foolish statements regarding Gaines position and body composition. Her apology, to say the least, was carefully worded and comes off as managed. However, I believe Biles, as an American citizen, is entitled to her free speech on this matter, as well. Her status in the world of sports is without peer, in my estimation. Her public statements regarding abuse at the USA Gymnastics level, mental health, and other topics give her currency to speak freely on other topics. She is wrong, in this instance. But free speech ONLY works when It protects speech we don't like. I hope for Biles that this error doesn't prevent her from coming to the public discourse on social issues. Gaines, as well, ought to be offered that same grace from liberal-corporate circles when she advocates for excluding biological males out of women's sports.
Thanks for these thoughtful comments, Thomas. Yes, women sometimes win in ultra-distance and ultra-cold water swimming, too. And equestrian. There are exceptions; we never say men are better "in every single imaginable sport."
And yes to free speech, absolutely.
And yes, Gaines is a brave, intelligent, effective leader and advocate for female athletes even though as you note, there are many Democrats who feel offended by or bewildered by her MAGA enthusiasm. We know her, respect her, collaborate with her.
At the Women's Sports Policy Working Group, we are seeing a resurgence of feminist interest among women and men across the political divide; a silver lining in the midst of many other conflicts and challenges.
Did you read how LGPA is handling this issue? Open for that discussion.
Yes, the LPGA recently stepped up with this much-improved but not-quite-there policy, summarized as: Males are not allowed in elite competitions unless they transitioned before age 12 and have maintained testosterone levels of <2.5 nanomoles per liter.
Any time nanomoles are mentioned, you can tell they're missing this biological fact: Weakened men are not women, and women should not be forced to compete against them. Even before puberty, boys have a performance advantage over girls; that's why swimming and track for youth have separate male/female categories.
There's a list of almost all U.S. and international sports policies on our website, here: https://womenssportspolicy.org/female-fairness/
Fantastic. Love hearing her voice for our girls! I sure hope Simone steps up and has the talk. Not hopeful.
Yes, isn't Martina the best? Glad you enjoyed her first article in this new newsletter.
Brava, Martina!
Now will all the still-clueless people out there -- including the Democratic Party -- finally wake the f up??
Ha ha - love your blunt speech, Lisa. Good question! We know you're helping us however you can. Thank you!
Martina, GREAT point about nobody registering for the third, trans category! People always bring this up when we discuss women’s sports. It may not be a viable solution.
My hope is that the women’s sports debate will turn the tide on public opinion, since it’s just simply and obviously unfair.
In most social justice issues, like civil rights or gay rights, the terms fair and equal are on the same side. “I can get married, it’s only fair a gay person can get married. I can drink from this water fountain, it’s only fair everyone can drink from this water fountain.” I’m not special or superior.
Trans rights are different, equal is not fair, mostly to women.
Hopefully, stopping the medicalization of minors, which is exponentially worse than the sports problem, will follow suit. As a lifelong Democrat often accused of being a nasty conservative when this issue comes up, I always point to the fact that the world’s most liberal countries (in Scandinavia) are more aligned with the American GOP on this issue than the American Dems.
So what if as a Democrat you stand up for women’s rights as most Republicans do? Fairness is not a political issue!
The repeal of Row v Wade screams otherwise.
One of the primary goals of the gay and lesbian rights movement was to gain the legal right of gay and lesbian individuals to marry their same-sexed partners. The movement was not focused on coercing straight people to marry lesbian and gay partners. "Trans" is precisely the opposite. They do want to coerce women who are not interested in them to couple with them, if not marry them. They seem to want to be in female contexts much of the time, imposing themselves and their craziness on others.
Yes, as Democrats, we can relate to all of this. Thanks!
It’s not really viable as males who insist they are women are only interested in the women’s category. Males who have proclaimed nonbinary status like that category because they can qualify for events under the women’s qualifying standards. Females calling themselves nonbinary can compete in the nonbinary category even if they are on testosterone. The insanity of this shite is mind boggling. I was a competitive long distance runner and ran my first Boston in 1978 only a few years after women could participate, and 6 years before it was an Olympic event. I was acquainted with many of those women who were ground breakers. I was a decent local/regional runner but I love my sport. I’m 78 and I ran starting at 30, competed for decades until fairly recent health issues. When I first started we hand to buy gear in the boys department as there was nothing for women. The early women distance runners would compete in sweat pants, boys clothes or tennis outfits. I remember meeting a woman in DC in 1977 where I lived who started making clothes in her basement, her business evolved into Moving Comfort running clothes for women. I digress, but women have worked so long and hard for the right to fair, serious competition. I will not capitulate to the trans taliban.
"The insanity of this shite is mind boggling." Yup. But here we are. Nice to hear from you. Thanks for joining our team.
As for Moving Comfort, yes, that must have been Ellen Wessel or Elizabeth Goeke, co-founders, and still friends of WSPWG. :-)
Nice to know they are still supporting women athletes. I first heard about their clothes at a talk for beginning runners around 1977 and I was impressed and excited by their project. If memory serves it was put on by the Washington Running Club. I wore Moving Comfort for as long as they were on the market. ❣️
Same. I still have some very old very comfortable shorts!
Thanks to Martina, and all of you at WSPWG, for your unwavering, forthright advocacy for women and girls. Simone Biles absolutely does need to take Martina up on the offer of a private conversation. She has a lot to learn—and she definitely owes Riley Gaines a personal, public apology. What she wrote about Gaines that is shown here is appalling—I write this as someone who does not share Gaines’s politics overall, but, to quote Martina: “Riley is not the problem.” Simone Biles, however, has shown herself to be part of the problem. So disappointing.
Yes - thanks so much, Susan!