this post was submitted on 11 Aug 2024
1373 points (100.0% liked)

LGBTQ+

2759 readers
1 users here now

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

To clarify, the pictured poster Caroline Kwan is an ally, not a TERF. The TERFs referred to in the title are the ones ‘protecting a very specific idea of what a woman is’

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] [email protected] 11 points 4 months ago (1 children)

This is a pretty good take, except that the men's division is also protected. Performance enhancing drugs are not allowed, it is not a free-for-all open division.

I don't think anyone thinks the men's and woman's division should be combined because there is no good way to differentiate the difficult place in the middle; this is a classic heap paradox, just because the division between woman and not woman is difficult does not mean it doesn't exist.

Just one example from speed climbing men's WR = 4.74s, woman's WR = 6.06s; the men are 27.8% faster. No one is arguing that men are more dedicated and train more, that they have access to better nutrition or equipment. Men have a natural advantage; combining the divisions would simply mean that no women could possibly get into the top class competition. This maps across ALL sport.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago (1 children)

This maps across ALL sport.

Well, while mostly true, there are always exceptions.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20240731-the-sports-where-women-outperform-men

Tldr ultradistance events and some shooting

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago

Interesting.

TIL there are people who swim marathons.