Forgive the pun but let’s get one thing straight re trans-sexual athletes. There are only two sexes,; male and female. That is an indisputable biological fact. “Feeling” you’ve been born in the wrong body doesn’t make that biologically true. Asylums are notorious for inmates believing they are Napoleon.
There’s a fairly rare mental derangement condition called lycanthropy, being the delusion one is an animal. I had fun using it in my 1999 novel Full Circle.
New Zealand weightlifter Gavin Hubbard, did not become a woman by changing his Christian name to Laurel over the last eight of his forty three years of life to date.
No amount of surgery, name changing, adopting female attire or feeling he’s been born in the wrong body changes that fact. Gavin’s selection to compete in the women’s weightlifting at the Olympics has caused a justifiable storm of outrage world-wide, predominantly by woman athletes and critics. Weightlifting is an event based solely on physical strength.
Currently there’s a row in England over the women’s violent offence statistics being distorted by the inclusion of numerous blokes who “identify” as women.
Senior Economist journalist Helen Joyce, has written a book, one of a spate of similar publications, on the screamingly wrong assumptions underlying the IOC’s decision to allow men who self-identify as women, to compete in the Olympics’ women’s events. Some quotes;
“The fastest time ever run by a woman over 400 metres is beaten more than 15,000 times each year by men and boys”.
“The average adult man has 41 percent more non-fat mass (blood, bones, muscles etc) than the average woman, plus 50% more muscle mass in his legs and 75% more in his arms”.
There are some sports where men and women could jointly compete because they’re based solely on skill. Lawn bowls is an obvious one. And as a keen viewer of the LPGA, women’s golf is close, always mindful of the old adage that you drive for show and putt for dough.
In some, such as diving and solo ice-skating women may well have an advantage. But most sports, no matter their skill content, involve degrees of physicality and to pretend otherwise is silly.
I am a libertarian. I believe our lives belong to us and subject to the laws, we can live them as we please, whether believing we’re in the wrong body or are really an emu.
If blokes want to cohabit only with their fellow-men, that’s solely their affair, so too with lesbianism. If people believe they’re born in the wrong bodies and act accordingly with name-changes, clothing etc, so too, it’s their decision and no-one else’s business. But there are limits. For example, it’s understandable why women who may share those liberal sentiments, draw a line at sharing bathrooms with a hulking brute, simply because he’s wearing a dress and wig and “feels” a woman. He’s not.
The IOC has form for its shallow decision-making on a host of issues and is up there with the WHO as one of the more inept international organisations.
If Gavin picks up a medal in Tokyo the row will intensify. But sadly, if he doesn’t, doubtless some supporters will argue this is proof of his having no physical advantage.
26 Comments
This is a national embarrassment that our media is turning their blind eyes to.
What world are we living in when a dictionary definition of the word women causes outrage and threats. Great article 👏
Yes Laura, the trans had a tantrum about a sign with the dictionary definition of woman (an adult female human) and the billboard company took it down. Not inclusive of the men that think they’re women apparently.
Women in the UK were prosecuted for a similar sign under their hate speech laws, the same laws Jacinda & Co are hell bent on introducing here.
The cocks in frocks can call themselves whatever they want, I suppose, they’re not women and never will be.
Yes, and what world are we living in when it is “brave” and risking sanctions from Big Tech, employers, sponsors, and even the government (under “hate speech” laws) to simply state the obvious. The tale of the Emperor’s New Clothes needs a re-write for our times, where the boy stating the obvious gets lynched and the charade simply goes on. I hope this is the “bridge too far” for the progressive movement and there is a public backlash expressed in a meaningful vote for the few politicians with the principles to actually push back. And that means, in NZ, the ACT Party and other smaller ones that have been demonized as right wing loonies. National is about as much use as the Petainists were in France in 1940. “Centre right” parties all over the world have taken on the “surrender monkey” mantle in a distinctive way for our times. If there isn’t a pushback now, you can bet the Left has unthinkably evil “next steps” in the culture war already planned in the back room and ready to roll out.
Anything that undermines the trans-agenda (of being celebrated as normal and special) is attacked – no matter how benign. A threat is a threat. So if the truth is a threat – the truth sayers will be attacked.
It’s not dissimilar to being included on the Maori electoral roll by no more than having to “feel Maori” WTF?
And when Wellington’s mayor lights up a public venue – presumably at ratepayers’ expense – and parades around draped in a trans flag in order to encourage free, fair, and thoughtful speech?
Good on you Bob, you always speak common sense.
Trans-sexuality with its various manifestations is not something I personally identify with or endorse but as Sir Robert indicted I too can accept the concept of “Each to his Own” with the proviso that there are limits and the thought of the ‘Cocks In Frocks Brigade”lumbering about in women’s hockey or gymnastics at the Olympics is beyond the pail for this old boy
If they end up in the women’s beach volley ball that’s the end of it, as far as the Olympics go, for me.
A man thinking he is a woman and vice versa is a mental illness, (as alluded to by Prof. Jordan Peterson in one of his lectures) wires crossed somewhere in the brain. A man competing as a women in an Olympic event is the same as the cheats who take drugs to out perform their competitors, there should be no opportunity for either of these to occur.
The other contestants in this farce of a contest should boycott the event, (forgive the pun )
The IOC are complete cowards and lunatics. This is embarrassing for every sane kiwi. But why the hell did our PC idiot selectors put him/her in the team ? The world is barking.
For those wanting to provide support to the women who put up the billboard and are doing an amazing job of speaking up (e.g. when four publice libraires cancelled their meetings, taking the Palmerston North Council to the High Court). the High Court ruled that SUFW should be allowed to hold their meetings and ruled they are not a hate group, as some trans activists had asserted….So tomorrow night in The Michael Fowler Centre at 6 30pm, they are holding a meeting. It will only be about an hour long. The trans activists will be out, so it would be good to have as many people as possible to go to SUFW meeting.
Also you could donate! This is an under resourced voluntary group. Many of its member have faced a great deal of hostility and harrasment. Google their website SUFW. Thanks
It’s 6pm and they will be starting promptly.
The activists are chewing their hand off, they have a massive persecution complex but the bill to put in self-ID and legislate away other’s human rights has to be challenged.
I attended the ChCh one some weeks ago. Their cause is entirely calm and uncontroversial. I also support these women in spirit & in dosh. The have been victims of disgraceful & unrelenting smears from many mayors and MPs, who fall over themselves in their rush to shine their ‘inclusive’ cred, thus excluding half of the population. They are a lame joke. ‘Political correctness is incompetence dressed up as virtue’…Ayan Hirsi Ali.
I have family experience of this. My sibling was born male. After two marriages to women and fathering two children and at the age of 47 ‘came out. She has had full chemical and surgical conversion. She must REALLY want to be female as it’s horrendous what is done. As a male she was in the Gulf War and I don’t think has ever been the same mentally, although she says she knew in her teens. She is not happy however and suffers with depression and all sorts of mental health issues- as many trans do after conversion I believe. I agree, she can be whatever she wishes- but that’s not where it ends in fact that’s where it just begins; for family in particular. Coming finally to my point- she still has a man’s physique ( minus the obvious) but with breasts. Her broad shoulders, leg and arm muscles so on, are what genetics have given and simply can’t be changed at conversion after puberty. Both my mother and I are much smaller in comparison. I personally don’t think it’s fair for such a person to compete against biological women in physical sports.Disclaimer: I’m a biological woman, but after a total hysterectomy, does that make me a man?
…. so , a bloke who’s a hulking great second rate boxer could identify as a woman … have a sex change … then , get back in the ring , and start punching real ladies in the face ? …. and share the changing room with them afterward ???? …. dang ! …. I’m off to Thailand …. time for the op …..
No need “for the opp”, Roger, basically just announce it and the world has to go along with your delusion, call you by your new name and use your pronoun of choice. Failure to do so is hate speech or dead naming with the prospect of three years in the gulag and a re-education programme administered by an abomination.
Mate…that ship has well and truly sailed
https://www.westernjournal.com/transgender-fighter-broke-womans-skull-mma-ring-now-called-bravest-athlete-history/
NZ media never mention some key facts on this (particularly Stuff and Radio NZ)
No female weightlifter has gone to the Olympics at such an age. Hubbard is about 10 to 20y older than most of the others competing. Hubbard did not compete for about 10 to 15 years then went to number 2 in the rankings almost immediately.
That wasn’t the result of training harder
Bob – this one is an example of why you are so respected by such a huge section of the silent majority. The courage to address the truth.
I won’t drop in today sorry. I’m training for the veteran women’s road race at the world cycling champs in Wollongong. It’s just a feeling I got.
This was briefly alluded to in an earlier SRJ post having a laugh about a charity cricket game (I think) and inviting a few internationals to don a blouse/skirt and hit a few boundaries.
This weight lifter situation is so silly it makes me laugh. What makes it doubly ridiculous is the sport that he/she is competing in is also divided up in to different categories to keep it “fair”. You can’t help but laugh when something like this gets shoved in there. Fair/Schmair
There is also the question of the torturous case of Caster Semenya. Look it up. This has been before the sports courts literally for years.
I half suspect that an injury will conveniently occur and mean that the whole issue won’t come to a head at the games directly.
tsk tsk Sir Robert. You shouldn’t be using facts and logic. This is the 21st century, get with the times. Anyway NZ should bring home at least one gold from Tokyo. 🙂
This opens up all sorts of career opportunities for our star rugby players; Once they are finished here, and have done Japan/France/whatever, normally they would be put out to pasture. But now, there’s Women’s Rugby..
Tell people you know what “sex” is and ask them to explain “gender”.
I got a “don’t know”
However, I have no problem calling anyone whatever name they want. So I have no problem calling him Laurel