Colorado court hearing over reported transgender athlete could alter Mountain West volleyball season

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nba/colorado-court-hearing-over-reported-transgender-athlete-could-alter-mountain-west-volleyball-season/ar-AA1ut5vF?ocid=windirect&cvid=06a9c7f8e31b4dae97d5ab0c7ba2372f&ei=53

Story by Mark Zeigler (20 Nov 2024)

Several athletes — and now an entire university — have filed a lawsuit in a Colorado federal court requesting emergency injunctive relief against the Mountain West that could upend the tournament seedings and, perhaps, exclude one of San Jose State's best players.

NCAA policy allows for transgender athletes to compete in women's sports according to the rules of that sport's national federation, which in volleyball requires testosterone levels to be beneath certain thresholds.

Utah State argues that the Mountain West's transgender policy requiring forfeits which count as wins or losses violates Title IX because it "punishes USU women's volleyball" while elevating "participation by transgender student-athletes above — and at the expense of — other Title IX considerations, especially Title IX's mandate that women athletes be given an equal opportunity to compete."

San Jose State issued a statement that read, in part: "There is no dispute that San Jose State is following the eligibility rules set by the NCAA and the Mountain West Conference. We have asked the court to reject the plaintiffs' unprecedented request that a federal court override NCAA and Mountain West policies to exclude an eligible player who has competed without incident for years."

This is always very grimy. Because it isn't about being trans. It's about what being born male gives you in terms of advantage over being born female. And... that will always be a thing. If not in measurable terms, than in psychological terms. Cis women will always feel trans women have an advantage in sports, whether that is proved to be the case or not. And this, sadly, gets pushed into the wider world. It's easy to blame a trans person if you lose, even if that loss is not down to physical ability. Doesn't take much to convince people that's exactly what it's about.

Personally I'm sick of hearing about it, but I know it matters to people whose life is lived on the cutting edge. And who take every win by a trans person as proof that a natal female never stood a chance. Sports is lived on the 1%. That 1% is bleeding into the lives of everyone else. That also makes me sad. Because it's newsworthy, apparently.

Quote from: Sephirah on November 21, 2024, 04:16:38 PMAnd who take every win by a trans person as proof that a natal female never stood a chance.

They ignore the fact that training, skill, and sometimes luck also factor into the competition. There are FTM athletes who have beaten their male competitors in weightlifting and bodybuilding and won medals. No one complained that they got "beat by a girl."

Our young trans athletes do not get any physical advantage thanks to puberty blockers. They want to do away with those even though they help keep the sport fair on both sides.

Instead of whining about some perceived advantage as the reason you lost, maybe there is another solution. In the words of a Gamer friend of mine, "Git Good, Noob."

Real athletes accept that they will lose some competitions and work hard to improve their skills and endurance. The whiners got by winning "Participation Trophies" instead of training harder.

This is all just a rehash of the same arguments that surfaced concerning race. Yes, certain people from other parts of the world are indeed better at certain sports. It is a biological fact due to geography and culture. But no one is trying to ban Ethiopians from running marathons, or a dozen other examples I could list.

If you know your competitor's strengths, then you train to overcome them. That is true in any sport.

"Suck it up, Buttercup" and "Git good, Noob." 

Quote from: Lori Dee on November 21, 2024, 05:06:05 PMThey ignore the fact that training, skill, and sometimes luck also factor into the competition. There are FTM athletes who have beaten their male competitors in weightlifting and bodybuilding and won medals. No one complained that they got "beat by a girl."

Our young trans athletes do not get any physical advantage thanks to puberty blockers. They want to do away with those even though they help keep the sport fair on both sides.

Instead of whining about some perceived advantage as the reason you lost, maybe there is another solution. In the words of a Gamer friend of mine, "Git Good, Noob."

Real athletes accept that they will lose some competitions and work hard to improve their skills and endurance. The whiners got by winning "Participation Trophies" instead of training harder.

This is all just a rehash of the same arguments that surfaced concerning race. Yes, certain people from other parts of the world are indeed better at certain sports. It is a biological fact due to geography and culture. But no one is trying to ban Ethiopians from running marathons, or a dozen other examples I could list.

If you know your competitor's strengths, then you train to overcome them. That is true in any sport.

"Suck it up, Buttercup" and "Git good, Noob." 

It's not a case of ignoring it, Lori. It's a case of having an easy out. It's a case of trans people being in the spotlight lately so everyone is going to jump on us because we don't have the means to fight back. It's a means of being able to win without having to compete. And it's a little bit pathetic. You can win by means of public support. If that makes you feel good... cool.

"I win because I made it so difficult you got disqualified... yay?"

I do admit that there are very strict rules that need to be followed because people born male can have an advantage. A clearly demonstrable advantage. Bone and muscle density, pneumatic capacity... just through sheer evolution. Just through why male bodies are the way they are. You can't really argue against that. And I'm not trying to argue against that. My point is you would never let John Cena compete against Jane Cena and think it remotely fair.

But that's not what this is about. This is about a very slight margin of error, one so small that only the smell of the word "transgender" causes people to run for the hills. As you say, more women than men. It's never talked about if a trans guy beats other guys. And it should. But the other way round... in today's world... it's just an easy out. It's an easy way to play the "trans" card and say "I'm not even going to play. Punish this fool!". Sadly most people have been whipped up into such an anti-trans frenzy that they're more than happy to do so.

Quote from: Lori Dee on November 21, 2024, 05:06:05 PMOur young trans athletes do not get any physical advantage thanks to puberty blockers. They want to do away with those even though they help keep the sport fair on both sides.

Great point! Someday, puberty blockers will be more commonplace as trans health care becomes more prevalent.