Olympic Equity Inspired by Title IX

 

New Zealand has a powerlifter on their Olympic team named Laurel Hubbard (pictured at right). She used to be a male powerlifter, but transitioned to a woman, and is now a female powerlifter.  Apparently using drugs, but not surgery. Although I hope you’ll forgive me for making little effort to get the details. I’d rather not think about such things. Regardless, as you might imagine, female competitors who happen to be women are not amused. They know they can’t say much without sounding like they’re discriminating against a protected class, but they’re not happy. They get one chance in their life to win a medal, and they would prefer to attempt that by competing against 0ther women.

How to resolve this issue without offending anyone? That’s a toughie, although I have a suggestion.  Just follow the guidance of Title IX – a law that sought to establish gender equity in sports. It required that there be an equal number of athletic scholarships for men and women. Ok, makes sense. So let’s require that there be an equal number of male-to-female transgenders as there are female-to-male transgenders competing.

‘Laurel’ can join the female powerlifting team as soon as someone who used to be a woman qualifies for the male powerlifting team. As long they maintain balance – equity! – then no one can complain. Problem fixed. No conflict. Simple. Gosh, I’m smart.

This is bonkers.

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  1. Barfly Member
    Barfly
    @Barfly

    KevinKrisher (View Comment):

    Here’s a possible solution.

    Do away with the categories of men’s sports and women’s sports. Replace them with the categories of sports for people with one X and one Y chromosome, and sports for people with two X chromosomes. Just require a cheek swab to determine the category in which an athlete may compete.

    Gosh darn it, that’s science! Find the inequity in that!

    Y’know, I really like that solution.

    It’ll sell, because its facade is so sciency. It replaces the old rejected map (“man”, “woman”) with a shiny new map (“one X”, “two X”).

    The map changes but the territory remains the same. The fundamental skill of lying that the left (and all Germanic philosophy, but I digress) use to pervert everything is the skill of navigation between representation and reality, seeking enough turns and transitions to confuse themselves and the listener into belief.

    But @kevinkrisher ‘s technique is both a complement and a tactical response to the lie of the left. We can discard the corrupted map and replace it with one equally disposable but more acceptable to the shallow lefty mind. “Chromosomes? That’s hard stuff. Okayyy, so …”

    So a dialectic arises, an arms race where the left continuously produces a new, barely plausible, abstraction of reality. They reason within that abstraction and find some conclusion that hurts their betters, then claim it is true within the reality.

    We on the right discard the now corrupted map and try to insert a new one, more true to reality.

    We’re not very good at step 5, getting the herd to shrug off the old map. I’m intrigued by the implications if we were actually able to pull off such an inversion of the public metaphor.

    One thing I think would certainly emerge is a preference for the more subconsciously appealing X1’s and X2’s. How would the fat Karens and the sub-delt Kensi’s respond?

    • #31
  2. Samuel Block Support
    Samuel Block
    @SamuelBlock

    Henry Racette (View Comment):

    I think this issue of men competing as women is, more than anything else, why the so-called “trans” movement is a bridge too far, and why it will ultimately bring about the first significant reversal of major cultural progressive policy in my lifetime.

    Of course, I’m an optimist.

    I think you’re right. What happens when a male-to-female trans athlete from the West takes the gold at the Olympics? Some countries still have citizens who wouldn’t buy this crap, and they even speak their minds!

    That coupled with woke Millennials teaching regular peoples children… Well, I bet there’s gonna be fireworks.  

    • #32
  3. Henry Racette Member
    Henry Racette
    @HenryRacette

    Jerry Giordano (Arizona Patrio… (View Comment):

    Henry Racette (View Comment):

    Jerry Giordano (Arizona Patrio… (View Comment):

    I’m probably starting to sound like a broken record on this point, but I’m going to say it again.

    The very existence of women’s sports is a violation of the principle of non-discrimination on the basis of sex. If non-discrimination on the basis of sex is truly a valid moral principle, then men should not be excluded from any event.

    Our current rule seems to be that you can’t discriminate on the basis of sex, unless it benefits women, in which case you must. The hypocrisy of this rule should be evident to everyone, but this does not appear to be the case. I find this curious.

    As a man who believes that discrimination on the basis of sex is both appropriate and necessary, and that such discrimination should favor the fairer sex, I see no hypocrisy in women-only sports.

    Interesting.

    In all things, or just in sports, or in sports plus other things? Firefighting? Combat?

    I think it’s appropriate in relatively few areas, really. I would not allow women in combat roles, if I had my choice. In firefighting, I’d hope that people would maintain a consistent physical standard that everyone, male and female, would have to pass in order to get the job. Same with policing. But I’d be happy for those decisions to be left to municipalities and agencies.

    Women are, in general, weaker and more vulnerable than men. I think that’s worth taking into account in a few domains where strength and physical performance matter.

     

    • #33
  4. Fake John/Jane Galt Coolidge
    Fake John/Jane Galt
    @FakeJohnJaneGalt

    Get rid of gender in sports.  Make it weight class think like boxers do.  Then all can compete for the same metals.  

    • #34
  5. The Scarecrow Thatcher
    The Scarecrow
    @TheScarecrow

    If Trans is really so important and it’s here to stay, why not just add a third category of sports – Trans?  You could even have the two logical divisions: Trans-women’s sports and trans-men’s sports.

    A trans-woman isn’t a woman, otherwise we would call him a “woman”, not a “trans-woman”. So he shouldn’t compete against plain women, as that would be a category error.

    Let this poor confused bastard compete against other trans-women – go nuts dude. That way he won’t be feeling lesser than the males he left behind, or worry about hurting the smaller women he so admires. He can be in his own special category, competeing against other transers who best match his strengths and weaknesses.

    • #35
  6. Henry Racette Member
    Henry Racette
    @HenryRacette

    Fake John/Jane Galt (View Comment):

    Get rid of gender in sports. Make it weight class think like boxers do. Then all can compete for the same metals.

    It’s not about weight. Anyone who has spent time watching boys and girls in their respective competitions will have observed the difference in strength, speed, and energy. With very few exceptions, males and females can’t effectively compete against each other.

    • #36
  7. Old Bathos Member
    Old Bathos
    @OldBathos

    The Soviets and East Germans never dreamed that this kind of thing could be done to grab women’s medals.  Tell their male bench-warmers in each sport to don a wig, see the team doc, and pick a girl’s name.

    Maybe we should keep separate records for cis- athletes.

    • #37
  8. Fake John/Jane Galt Coolidge
    Fake John/Jane Galt
    @FakeJohnJaneGalt

    Henry Racette (View Comment):

    Fake John/Jane Galt (View Comment):

    Get rid of gender in sports. Make it weight class think like boxers do. Then all can compete for the same metals.

    It’s not about weight. Anyone who has spent time watching boys and girls in their respective competitions will have observed the difference in strength, speed, and energy. With very few exceptions, males and females can’t effectively compete against each other.

    Sorry that ship has sailed.  There is no difference between boys and girl or men and women.  This is now accepted science.  Now the best we can do is class standards or leagues for all.  

    • #38
  9. Flicker Coolidge
    Flicker
    @Flicker

    Henry Racette (View Comment):

    Jerry Giordano (Arizona Patrio… (View Comment):

    I’m probably starting to sound like a broken record on this point, but I’m going to say it again.

    The very existence of women’s sports is a violation of the principle of non-discrimination on the basis of sex. If non-discrimination on the basis of sex is truly a valid moral principle, then men should not be excluded from any event.

    Our current rule seems to be that you can’t discriminate on the basis of sex, unless it benefits women, in which case you must. The hypocrisy of this rule should be evident to everyone, but this does not appear to be the case. I find this curious.

    As a man who believes that discrimination on the basis of sex is both appropriate and necessary, and that such discrimination should favor the fairer sex, I see no hypocrisy in women-only sports.

    The law is a crude construct intended to serve society. Language and the interpretation of the law are subsidiary to this purpose.   To divorce the language of the law from its purpose for society is folly.

    Sorry Henry, I meant this to be a response to Jerry.

    • #39
  10. Henry Racette Member
    Henry Racette
    @HenryRacette

    Fake John/Jane Galt (View Comment):

    Henry Racette (View Comment):

    Fake John/Jane Galt (View Comment):

    Get rid of gender in sports. Make it weight class think like boxers do. Then all can compete for the same metals.

    It’s not about weight. Anyone who has spent time watching boys and girls in their respective competitions will have observed the difference in strength, speed, and energy. With very few exceptions, males and females can’t effectively compete against each other.

    Sorry that ship has sailed. There is no difference between boys and girl or men and women. This is now accepted science. Now the best we can do is class standards or leagues for all.

    Ah, yes. Of course.

    Because we never met a battle we couldn’t declare lost, amiright?

    • #40
  11. Flicker Coolidge
    Flicker
    @Flicker

    DonG (2+2=5. Say it!) (View Comment):

    “Equity” means equal outcomes. Thus all athletes will need to be hobbled to point they are no stronger/faster/agile than non-athletes. The perfectly woke Olympics would have mediocre persons showing identical and unremarkable performances. Everyone gets a Bronze, since nobody deserves gold or silver. Also, the “athletes” do not compete on behalf of a country, but on behalf of their intersectional identity.

    They weight race horses don’t they?

    • #41
  12. Flicker Coolidge
    Flicker
    @Flicker

    DonG (2+2=5. Say it!) (View Comment):

    Jerry Giordano (Arizona Patrio… (View Comment):
    The very existence of women’s sports is a violation of the principle of non-discrimination on the basis of sex. If non-discrimination on the basis of sex is truly a valid moral principle, then men should not be excluded from any event.

    Would you also eliminate weight and age classes for sports?

    This reminds me of Kramer’s judo class where he threw the little kids around like rag dolls and was so proud of his martial arts prowess.  Of course it was a TV comedy, not real life.

    • #42
  13. Flicker Coolidge
    Flicker
    @Flicker

    Jerry Giordano (Arizona Patrio… (View Comment):

    DonG (2+2=5. Say it!) (View Comment):

    Jerry Giordano (Arizona Patrio… (View Comment):
    The very existence of women’s sports is a violation of the principle of non-discrimination on the basis of sex. If non-discrimination on the basis of sex is truly a valid moral principle, then men should not be excluded from any event.

    Would you also eliminate weight and age classes for sports?

    I think that this is an incorrect analogy. The proper analogy is to race discrimination, which is prohibited and morally disapproved, similar to the prohibition and disapproval of sex discrimination.

    I’m not much of a fan of the anti-discrimination laws. If the law prohibits discrimination on the basis of weight, which I do not believe to be the case, then there is no hypocrisy in allowing weight classes. Ditto for age, for the most part, though I think that there is some limited prohibition on age discrimination.

    I think Olympic boxing has weight categories.  Would it be fair that a great fly weight should never get a gold because he’s always beaten by heavy weights?

    • #43
  14. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Dr. Bastiat (View Comment):

    KentForrester (View Comment):
    your solution still leaves men with reduced testosterone (though still with big muscles and power) competing against normal women.

    No, it doesn’t. Because no woman could qualify for the men’s power lifting team. Which means there would be no men on the women’s power lifting team. Equity.

    But as cdor pointed out above, logic and reason are unlikely to be helpful in resolving this situation. Or, really, any debate with the left.

    Of course not, because the left never insists that half of traditionally-female occupations be filled by men, etc.  Actual fairness/equity is never their actual goal.

    • #44
  15. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    MarciN (View Comment):

    I wonder how big this issue is. I guess if there’s money on the table, there is incentive for men to want to compete in women’s sports.

    How did such a marginal issue become so important? It’s hard to fathom why so many men are trying to compete in the women’s sports divisions. It’s not strictly about ability and talent because the men haven’t won anything significant. If I were to compete against kids in some area in which I’ve had a lot of experience, if I won, the win would be meaningless.

     

    Even if you won a chunk of money?

    • #45
  16. Fake John/Jane Galt Coolidge
    Fake John/Jane Galt
    @FakeJohnJaneGalt

    Henry Racette (View Comment):

    Fake John/Jane Galt (View Comment):

    Henry Racette (View Comment):

    Fake John/Jane Galt (View Comment):

    Get rid of gender in sports. Make it weight class think like boxers do. Then all can compete for the same metals.

    It’s not about weight. Anyone who has spent time watching boys and girls in their respective competitions will have observed the difference in strength, speed, and energy. With very few exceptions, males and females can’t effectively compete against each other.

    Sorry that ship has sailed. There is no difference between boys and girl or men and women. This is now accepted science. Now the best we can do is class standards or leagues for all.

    Ah, yes. Of course.

    Because we never met a battle we couldn’t declare lost, amiright?

    You want to fight battles that are already over.  I do not see how this insanity will go back into the box until this farce is played out.  

    • #46
  17. Henry Castaigne Member
    Henry Castaigne
    @HenryCastaigne

    • #47
  18. ctlaw Coolidge
    ctlaw
    @ctlaw

    https://www.foxnews.com/us/us-olympic-athlete-chelsea-wolfe-burn-flag-podium

     

    • #48
  19. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    ctlaw (View Comment):

    https://www.foxnews.com/us/us-olympic-athlete-chelsea-wolfe-burn-flag-podium

     

    I won’t be watching it.

    Any. Of. It.

    • #49
  20. The Reticulator Member
    The Reticulator
    @TheReticulator

    Fake John/Jane Galt (View Comment):
    You want to fight battles that are already over.  I do not see how this insanity will go back into the box until this farce is played out.  

    I don’t see how a lot of things will play out. Doesn’t mean I quit.   

    • #50
  21. EJHill Podcaster
    EJHill
    @EJHill

    The IOC now allows 5 times the testosterone naturally found in a biological woman. East Germany hardest hit.

    • #51
  22. Dr. Bastiat Member
    Dr. Bastiat
    @drbastiat

    EJHill (View Comment):

    The IOC now allows 5 times the testosterone naturally found in a biological woman. East Germany hardest hit.

    Because 6 times more would have been too much. 

    • #52
  23. Henry Racette Member
    Henry Racette
    @HenryRacette

    Dr. Bastiat (View Comment):

    EJHill (View Comment):

    The IOC now allows 5 times the testosterone naturally found in a biological woman. East Germany hardest hit.

    Because 6 times more would have been too much.

    Obviously. I wonder how much more calcium the guys-posing-as-girls get to have in their bones, how much bulkier their connective tissue can be, etc. I’m sure there are standards for all of that, too.

    Seriously, this is dangerous. I had two sons and a daughter playing soccer and basketball through high school, and there’s simply no parity between the speed and power of the boys versus the girls. My boys bounced off each other in ways that would have broken my daughter’s bones. That advantage is the result of a myriad of modifications to bone and muscle and sinew that years with low testosterone won’t undo.

    Obviously — at least to anyone who is living in the real world.

    • #53
  24. MarciN Member
    MarciN
    @MarciN

    Fake John/Jane Galt (View Comment):

    Henry Racette (View Comment):

    Fake John/Jane Galt (View Comment):

    Get rid of gender in sports. Make it weight class think like boxers do. Then all can compete for the same metals.

    It’s not about weight. Anyone who has spent time watching boys and girls in their respective competitions will have observed the difference in strength, speed, and energy. With very few exceptions, males and females can’t effectively compete against each other.

    Sorry that ship has sailed. There is no difference between boys and girl or men and women. This is now accepted science. Now the best we can do is class standards or leagues for all.

    This is where the logic flies out the door. If there’s no difference, then why are they not happy with whatever sex they were born with? 

    • #54
  25. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    MarciN (View Comment):

    Fake John/Jane Galt (View Comment):

    Henry Racette (View Comment):

    Fake John/Jane Galt (View Comment):

    Get rid of gender in sports. Make it weight class think like boxers do. Then all can compete for the same metals.

    It’s not about weight. Anyone who has spent time watching boys and girls in their respective competitions will have observed the difference in strength, speed, and energy. With very few exceptions, males and females can’t effectively compete against each other.

    Sorry that ship has sailed. There is no difference between boys and girl or men and women. This is now accepted science. Now the best we can do is class standards or leagues for all.

    This is where the logic flies out the door. If there’s no difference, then why are they not happy with whatever sex they were born with?

    I remember years ago finding an “alternative” weekly magazine thing on a city bus, that had that “Savage Love” column in it.  One of the points made was that they say it doesn’t matter what’s between your legs, that has nothing to do with who you are.  I wrote to ask why, if it doesn’t matter, how can it be so important for someone to CHANGE what’s between their legs?  Never got an answer.

    • #55
  26. EJHill Podcaster
    EJHill
    @EJHill

    Doctors here may contradict me here, but the pelvis area is still male. 

    • #56
  27. Henry Racette Member
    Henry Racette
    @HenryRacette

    EJHill (View Comment):

    Doctors here may contradict me here, but the pelvis area is still male.

    That can’t be true, since if it were true it would be difficult for men who have decided that they are women to share with other women the experience of giving birth to a child.

    But I think I’ve been assured that they can in fact have kids. Pretty sure I read that.

    • #57
  28. Henry Castaigne Member
    Henry Castaigne
    @HenryCastaigne

    Henry Racette (View Comment):

    Dr. Bastiat (View Comment):

    EJHill (View Comment):

    The IOC now allows 5 times the testosterone naturally found in a biological woman. East Germany hardest hit.

    Because 6 times more would have been too much.

    Obviously. I wonder how much more calcium the guys-posing-as-girls get to have in their bones, how much bulkier their connective tissue can be, etc. I’m sure there are standards for all of that, too.

    Seriously, this is dangerous. I had two sons and a daughter playing soccer and basketball through high school, and there’s simply no parity between the speed and power of the boys versus the girls. My boys bounced off each other in ways that would have broken my daughter’s bones. That advantage is the result of a myriad of modifications to bone and muscle and sinew that years with low testosterone won’t undo.

    Obviously — at least to anyone who is living in the real world.

    @Henry Racette  I find it interesting that people who believe in evolution seem to never believe that men and women are built differently by evolution. It makes sense for men to have bodies built for war and for women to have bodies built for pregnancy. 

    • #58
  29. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Henry Castaigne (View Comment):

    Henry Racette (View Comment):

    Dr. Bastiat (View Comment):

    EJHill (View Comment):

    The IOC now allows 5 times the testosterone naturally found in a biological woman. East Germany hardest hit.

    Because 6 times more would have been too much.

    Obviously. I wonder how much more calcium the guys-posing-as-girls get to have in their bones, how much bulkier their connective tissue can be, etc. I’m sure there are standards for all of that, too.

    Seriously, this is dangerous. I had two sons and a daughter playing soccer and basketball through high school, and there’s simply no parity between the speed and power of the boys versus the girls. My boys bounced off each other in ways that would have broken my daughter’s bones. That advantage is the result of a myriad of modifications to bone and muscle and sinew that years with low testosterone won’t undo.

    Obviously — at least to anyone who is living in the real world.

    @ Henry Racette I find it interesting that people who believe in evolution seem to never believe that men and women are built differently by evolution. It makes sense for men to have bodies built for war and for women to have bodies built for pregnancy.

    Except “science” is not really their master; “science” is their servant.

    • #59
  30. Henry Castaigne Member
    Henry Castaigne
    @HenryCastaigne

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Henry Castaigne (View Comment):

    Henry Racette (View Comment):

    Dr. Bastiat (View Comment):

    EJHill (View Comment):

    The IOC now allows 5 times the testosterone naturally found in a biological woman. East Germany hardest hit.

    Because 6 times more would have been too much.

    Obviously. I wonder how much more calcium the guys-posing-as-girls get to have in their bones, how much bulkier their connective tissue can be, etc. I’m sure there are standards for all of that, too.

    Seriously, this is dangerous. I had two sons and a daughter playing soccer and basketball through high school, and there’s simply no parity between the speed and power of the boys versus the girls. My boys bounced off each other in ways that would have broken my daughter’s bones. That advantage is the result of a myriad of modifications to bone and muscle and sinew that years with low testosterone won’t undo.

    Obviously — at least to anyone who is living in the real world.

    @ Henry Racette I find it interesting that people who believe in evolution seem to never believe that men and women are built differently by evolution. It makes sense for men to have bodies built for war and for women to have bodies built for pregnancy.

    Except “science” is not really their master; “science” is their servant.

    Truth should be our master. 

    • #60
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