The differences in strength between men and women is well and truly settled; has been since Adam and Eve. No 'science' needed. All this fuss about approximately 1200 people in the whole of Australia is not needed either. Some Australians are given to obsessing over tiny minorities - who should be living their own lives - to the detriment of the important things threatening the lives of 25 billion people in the most dangerous time for 80 years.

Bloody grow up!

This week-end is the Orthodox Easter.
We celebrated ours last week-end -
however perhaps we can still think
about the message that Easter is
supposed to bring, that of joy, love,
kindness, and tolerance.

We all need safe spaces from intolerance.
Unfortunately there are still people - including
Christians who are quick to judge others and
tell us about what they're against.

We all know people who express their
disapproval of various groups, and
sections of our society and communities.
Dislike of differences and ignorance are
human problems. To embrace and accept those
who are different does not appear easy which
I guess is true for any of us - but it is something
on which we can all work on instead of congratulating
those who have the wisdom to see things our way.

Enjoy your week-end.

Foxy: This is what you said in your previous to previous post- "The debate is still ongoing however few experts *support* a blanket ban on trans gender athletes." [Note- I've singled out the word *support*]

And as I said in my last post, it matters not one iota whether the experts support it or not. It's not up to them to decide whether there should be bans! It's not their job to, as you put it, "advise what the best steps forward will be". Rather it's up to the community to decide what sorts of bans (if any) should be applied. The job of the experts is simply to establish what the factual consequences are of being trans in terms of performance.

Hi thinkabit,

We seem to arguing at cross-purposes here.
Ask yourself who makes the rules concerning
our sports and who can and can't participate
in them? You just may find that the public
in reality has very little say. It is the
sports organisations, et al who govern and they
do listen to the advice they're given by experts.
Just as governments listen to the advice given
to them by medical experts on COVID-19.

thinkabit,

It may also help if you went into the
SportAustralia website and read what the law
has to say on the subject.

http://sportaus.gov.au/integrity_in_sport/transgender_and_gender_diverse_people_in_sport

If you had watched SBS "Insight" program on transgender women in Sport, there were three sports health researchers present including a trans therapist. The law may say one thing, but it needs to change, in one overseas case transwomen play in their own competition. There are about 700,000 trans women in the USA according to Marieclaire.

There is a bill before Parliament identifying what constitutes women's sport yet to be debated.

http://www.cnsnews.com/blog/craig-bannister/study-trans-women-continue-outperforming-female-athletes-least-2-years-after

Compared to biological females, the study finds that:

Trans women are 12% faster in the 1.5 mile run even after two years on hormones
Trans women can do 10% more pushups for at least their first two years on hormones
Trans women can do 6% more situps during their first two years on hormones
States seeking to ban transgender athletes from competing against biological females in school sports are citing the study to document those athletes born as biological males have an unfair advantage over biological females.

Idaho was the first state in the nation to pass such a law, the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, which was signed into law by Republican Gov. Brad Little – but the law is blocked from taking effect as a challenge to it is currently being considered by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.