Canadian powerlifting coach, struck by the fact that he (yes, he) could, without any therapy on his part, and without shaving his beard, compete as a woman, shatters a transgender woman's bench press record. Wasn't even close; he did 167kG (360+ lbs), while the old record was 270.
To add salt to the wound, the "trans" lifter had raised the ire of "cis-gender" athletes by asking why it was that women don't do bench press like men. Um, lack of male shoulders, bone structure, musculature, and testosterone, maybe?
I don't know that I'm capable of predicting the future, but I dare say that the "trans" movement into women's sport is stalling. Between real women getting hurt by trans athletes in sports like basketball and volleyball, real women not getting chances to win, the intrusion of "Megan's List" candidates into locker rooms, and finally the preference of women's athletics fans to actually see a female form competing, I think the pushback will be, and should be, fierce.
No easy solutions here; without testosterone, "trans" athletes are going to have trouble competing as men, and they greatly want to be accepted as women. But that said, we have women only spaces for the reasons I've enunciated and more, and "there isn't a category that fits us" doesn't mean "you get to blow up the women's category."
3 comments:
I wish people who pontificate about "it not being a big deal" in re: the strength difference between men and women would, you know, enter a gym at some point.
I guess the response would be "How many trans lifters do you see in your weight room?", no? I can go to weight rooms and, despite my relative weakness, see the vast difference between what the stronger women are lifting and what the stronger men are lifting, but I won't see the difference with "trans" lifters because they simply aren't there.
They're starting to get the stats, but I've got to admit it's difficult, since the sample sizes simply aren't that good. Even getting a sample size of 30 for a standard normal distribution is difficult in a study. So what we have is a set of statistical outliers who are "OK" as men and champions as "women". That's a good hint, but I can see where people would ask for better stats.
I'm actually really really strong for a woman, so you have to put some work in to beat me on DL/BS. But not anything like the amount *I* have put in to get to the same numbers. I feel like having me around is just annoying enough to be motivational. :D
There's this whole story I have about my son barely trying and hitting his PR the same day I made mine - because he wanted to go home early. -headdesk- The guys who were serious take my PR and use it for reps. Or run out of room on the barbell for weights. And my bench is nothing, and has been stuck at the same nothing for years.
We had zero trans lifters. Lots and LOTS of Marines though. A good sprinkling of ex-athletes. Want a reality check about how old and slow and weak you are? Work out next to a twenty-something Marine. You know they THROW themselves at the floor for burpees? Makes my wrists hurt just looking at it.
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