• LustyArgonian@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    5
    arrow-down
    2
    ·
    edit-2
    5 months ago

    What’s interesting is Katie Ledecky can beat him on long distance swims, if we go by their times. So how much of an advantage is gender in many sports at this level? And let’s look at disability - Usain Bolt had/has scoliosis, Ledecky has POTS, and many other athletes have “disabling” conditions. So why would intersex get a special category that isn’t allowed? It’s just transphobia.

    Here’s a source for Katie Ledecky beating Phelps: https://www.essentiallysports.com/us-sports-news-olympics-news-swimming-news-is-katie-ledecky-faster-than-michael-phelps-answering-the-burning-question-of-the-swimming-community-before-us-olympic-trials/

      • LustyArgonian@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        4
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        6 months ago

        The thing is, other hormones can give advantages too. That people put so much stock into testosterone alone is bad science. That intersex conditions that involve testosterone are so hated is transphobia. Women should be in their neat little boxes and men in theirs and any anatomy that changes that is taboo and should be banned. Like where should an intersex fighter compete? If this woman was intersex and had LOCAH or PCOS or other conditions, should she not be allowed in any division of Olympics?

        Why don’t we have testosterone classes instead of (or in addition to) weight classes, if it matters so much? All athletes with the same level of testosterone can compete, just like athletes that weigh the same compete against each other. Why dont we organize it that way instead? Isn’t that more exact and fair?

          • LustyArgonian@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            edit-2
            5 months ago

            Well, everyone else here is specifically talking about testosterone. That’s the “problematic” chemical. It’s relevant because it’s a normal endogenous chemical we make and some women naturally make more. It can help with more muscle mass and bone density. That it’s testosterone is entirely relevant.

            That’s like speaking on Gaza and saying “it doesn’t matter where it is.” Like yes it absolutely matters. The context and specifics matter when discussing complicated topics.

            All athletes that beat other athletes have a presumed physical advantage. A physical advantage isn’t an issue. It’s testosterone that’s the issue according to the people removed about it.

              • LustyArgonian@lemmy.world
                link
                fedilink
                English
                arrow-up
                1
                ·
                5 months ago

                But that’s literally every condition. Thats everything a top physical athlete has - their entire physique is a physical advantage over others. How is it different than say, Michael Phelps producing less lactic acid which allows him to have greater endurance? Why is lactic acid okay to be different with, but not testosterone? Both are genetic abnormalities that confer an advantage.

                The reason is that they can’t be transphobic about lactic acid.

                  • LustyArgonian@lemmy.world
                    link
                    fedilink
                    English
                    arrow-up
                    1
                    ·
                    5 months ago

                    There are sports that are designed in a way that give estrogen dominant people advantages. Testosterone isn’t an advantage for every sport, and Testosterone in isolation isn’t an “advantage men have over women,” because it comes with a cost including lower lifespan. Cool that you think that way?

                    The way many sports are designed gives testosterone dominant people an advantage. That’s patriarchy for ya.

                    Height isn’t that important for swimming or even running - ShaCarri is like 5’1".

                    Lactic acid is not related to gender, that’s my point. But you clearly believe in gender determinism and think sex chromosomes make up a huge part of genetic makeup when it is quite tiny. Women and men have more in common than we have different.

                    My criticism is that categories based on gender are unscientific. Which you agree with but say you can’t be bothered with the details so its good enough. Well, some of us are smart enough to actually analyze this and know enough about medicine to criticize the heuristic of Testosterone as a metric for athletic competitions when there’s more involved than just T.

              • LustyArgonian@lemmy.world
                link
                fedilink
                English
                arrow-up
                1
                ·
                5 months ago

                I’ve already provided multiple examples where the physical advantages, resulting from a neurochemical anomaly, exist and no one had an issue. Why is testosterone special? And if testosterone ISN’T special, then why aren’t they testing for other enodgenous neurochemicals like lactic acid and banning based on that? Why doesn’t this group of lactic acid anomalies get kicked out and refused placement?

                Again, it’s transphobia.

                  • LustyArgonian@lemmy.world
                    link
                    fedilink
                    English
                    arrow-up
                    1
                    ·
                    edit-2
                    5 months ago

                    Your argument is that intersex conditions blur boundaries for sex in sports. My argument is that these categories are arbitrary and I’m explaining why.

                    You: the color orange messes with the boundaries we have in place for red and yellow! It can’t be involved!

                    Me: the boundary for yellow and red is arbitrary and visible light exists on a continuum anyway!