interesting thread on a poker forum...

[Ann Onymous]

With the events of Black Friday (the shutdown in the US of access to online poker), I have not spend as much time at 2P2 as I used to.  As I was catching up on some reading, I ran across a thread that some might find of interest.  And since we don't have a place that really addresses sports or cards, it seems somewhat appropriate to place the link here given that it was marginally related to peeps speaking up...

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/189/thats-what-she-said/speaking-out-our-transgender-friends-1061839/

While I don't concur with the label applied in the title and used in the thread, I found it interesting that the vast majority of comments were generally positive.  As some backstory and a caveat, the site is very heavily tilted towards the male population given that they tend to outnumber women in poker by a LARGE number.  It is also not a site that has been noted for being friendly to the gay and lesbian population, the successes of some very 'out' players notwithstanding.  The TWSS section is new within the past year or so and was largely created to accomodate the women who DID play and wanted a little bit of their own space on the site...

Second caveat: The issue of the 'ladies events' that still draw some male entrants in a few areas (due to local laws that preclude a true women's only event) has been a source of much contention for the past few years, which is why you see the reference in the thread to that element of tournament play...

The mods also stepped in and proactively did some temp bans on the couple of posters who turned into real idiots in the thread...

[SandraJane]

Good post, goes to show nothing is sacred. Interesting that Poker would be a an activity where bashing or exploitation of Transgendered persons take place. What makes it worse is guys just putting on a dress without at least trying to look the part so they could play in a Women's event. Oh well...

[Lisbeth]

Rosa Lee has every right to sue both places for invasion of privacy.

[Ann Onymous]

Rosa Lee has every right to sue both places for invasion of privacy.

Poker tournaments are public forums...and entrance includes consent to photos being used in the media.  Other claims could be advanced, but invasion of privacy is NOT one of them...at least not successfully.

Should also add that of the couple of relatively high profile trans-persons on the tournament circuit, I believe both were recognized players pre-transition.  At the upper echelons, most everyone knows the other players...and the tournament in question, while not uber-high-dollar, was still an upper-tier event (the WSOP ladies event is a $1K buy-in if I remember correctly).  And few people enter the WSOP intending only to play one event...I know some who go through $50K in entry fees at a minimum every year...although they often make several times that amount in prize winnings.