Can you explain why you think this? Everything in me thinks that such a ban would in fact force the conversation even more. Look at this thread. If anything, forcing the separation should push the issue of getting the research that proves the ban is ridiculous to begin with. And once thats out we fix things. I can't really see how either way would slow down the likelihood that research on this topic would be pursued.
I think this is a bad idea. We should just do the research. Its hard to believe it hasnt already been done. But theres either an advantage or there isnt. We don't need more "categories" IMO.
We do create lots of different categories already without too much controversy* - or rather, there are more binary options - age categories for Tennis, for example, or various agreed upon categories in the Paralympics that rely on "like" physical differences. With gender and sex, there's only currently two binary categories in the Olympics (itself a competition with no shortage of drama)
* That's a word used from a position of ignorance - but speaking relative to the amount of media coverage - and for groups who are already better protected by law at least in the US - I'm of course sure there's disagreements happening in that sphere too and that internationally it'll be extremely complex.
As to research - of course! Like, it should be happening now. But there are athletes right now who want to compete today, and athletes who want straight answers in order to train and compete.
The agreed upon position from the trans community is that trans woman are woman and this is non negotiable.
I have no idea why do you think that the IOC guidelines does not solve "the problem at hand". Also being trans and fitting the IOC guidelines is already so hard and fuck your life that if any man wants to have gender dysphoria and become a 3rd rate citizen I think they deserve to fit the category. It is not the category is woman only anyway since lots of trans men played in woman divisions before transition =P
I think you've misunderstood my post and at least the intent my question. If anything, I intended the
opposite of how you framed my question - and I accept that it's likely my fault and phrasing. If you can look past any erroneous semantic phrasing from me - my underlying question is about what's happening generally in the trans world as it relates to this discussion. It's obviously much easier to understand the historical situation because it already happened, but this is an ongoing situation and struggle with global implications as well as local ones. And I think I'm asking a pretty basic question I just want to be hyper clear that I'm not concern trolling or being disingenuous. I also don't expect you or any other poster to officially speak for a giant spectrum of people, but you (and loads of other people in the thread) are obviously more knowledgable than I am on this.
To put it super plainly: Is there a broad agreement in the Trans community generally, on the correct solution to the specific issue generally? Is that position that a person's identified sex or gender are sufficient and that (barring weight classes, age and other specific divisioning of a sport above and beyond gender) the solution is to let that be qualifier? I don't know the answer. I do (I think) know the answer as it relates to how people should be identified legally and properly, in employment, law, marriage, military service, bathrooms etc. There - at least in my corporate world, the employee tells us that fact and that's the end of that - we don't accomodate that, it's just .
This one seems more complex in part because sport already does micro categorization based solely on physical differences - weight age height etc. Even to the point of left-handedness, let alone something as fundamental and basic as their sex, gender and identity. There are multiple sports where those height, weight, reach distinctions are meaningful and some where they're absurd and an artifact of cultural norms or economics and demographics. I literally don't know what the broad trans community (including trans athletes) thinks the correct approach to either forcing or fighting for those changes is, or what the momentum is (lobbying, legislating, publicizing, arguing) driving any such movement. And I have no reason to believe there necessarily IS a "majority" opinion. Which is why I'm asking.
And maybe I'm not understanding the situation properly - from reading the IOC regulations (and maybe they've changed) it seems Trans men (a person born female who has physically transtioned to or established that they are male)
are allowed to compete but that no solution or framework is currently regulated or permitted for Trans women (folks born as a woman who have transitoned to identifying as a man, regardless of the nature, timing or specific of that transition).
And I'm being careful and likely clumsy about the semantics here, because I don't want to offend or confuse anyone, or look like I'm being sneaky on purpose -- and it's a complex issue even in terms of pronouns, so apologies if my
parentheses are wrong-headed, backwards or insulting - that's not my intention - which means there's a solution in the IOC's view or acceptance of one
specific type or category of trans person, but no current solution for others or even future planning for such.
