Maintaining an even playing field in women’s sports
I cannot stress enough how socially liberal I consider myself to be. It seems to dovetail nicely with my general libertarian streak. Basically, I’m all for doing whatever you want so long as it doesn’t hurt anyone else.
Hence, you want to do drugs, go nuts, just don’t get behind the wheel of a car or stick a gun in my face. Want to own a gun? Awesome, just keep it locked up and only use it in places where it’s legal. Want to have an abortion? Not my bag, but a woman’s right to choose, to me, is paramount.
My socially liberal streak continues well into gender and sexuality. You’re gay, straight, transgender, or whatever else? Wonderful. Congratulations. I think you’re exactly the same as me, and what you do between the sheets - and who you are between your ears - is your business.
So yes. Overall, I am as socially liberal as they come. I truly don’t care what you do so long as it doesn’t hurt me, and the idea that someone can be discriminated against because of the color of their skin or their sexuality is so very absurd. We are, and should be, so much better than that. But.
But people who are born genetically male should not be allowed to play women’s sports. I don’t care at what point in their personal transition they are at, I don’t care how they identify. They simply should not be allowed to compete against people who are born genetically female.
According to research published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, women, on average, are 52% as strong as men in the upper body, and 66% as strong as men in the lower body.
A large part of the reason, according to further study, simply
comes down to size: Men are generally bigger.
Saying that men are stronger than women, on average, is simply a fact.
So by my personal measure of being socially liberal - do what you want as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone else - a genetically born male is potentially hurting genetically born females on the sports field. Not in the boardroom, not on the assembly line, not in the military, not at the bakery, not on the police force, not at NASA. But on the sports field? Come on. This shouldn’t even be a discussion. It is simply an unfair competitive advantage.
Of course, I’m bringing this up in light of President Joe Biden signing an executive order the other day titled “Preventing and Combating Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity or Sexual Orientation.” The executive order is outstanding on every level, except for one: The part that reads, “Children should be able to learn without worrying about whether they will be denied access to the restroom, the locker room, or school sports.”
I’m totally fine with the entire sentence except for “school sports,’ and I’m more than fine with the entire order. Discriminating against someone because of their gender identity or sexual orientation
is disgusting. Doing so demonstrates stupidity.
And yes, I realize, I’m opening myself up to being called “stupid” for taking issue with what would appear to be an order that allows male-to-female transgender students to participate in women’s sports.
But I’ll take that risk. And the reason, again, comes down to the “as long as no one is being hurt” part of my socially liberal equation. It’s simply an unfair advantage.
Now. Do I think this is worth marching on Pennsylvania Avenue over? Hell no. In fact, I could probably be swayed to saying, “whatever.” But imagine your daughter on the track team, basketball team, field hockey team, having to compete against a person who was born genetically a male and with it, has the size, speed, and muscle advantage? It’s unfair to the genetically-born women, and I have a hard time seeing otherwise. I feel cruddy having this opinion, but sports need to be played on an even playing field, wordplay intended, and this would not be an even playing field.