The whole “women in men’s sports” and trans women in sports has gotten completely out of hand
Next up, we have Trans women banned from women-only chess. Why do we even have women-only chess? Even if you accepted that women of similar size and training couldn’t compete with men in a physical activity, what is it about chess that is so physically demanding that women need their own category?
But wait, there’s more! Not to be outdone, The World Darts Federation has Banned women from women-only darts. Again, what is the inherent advantage men have over women that means they need their own special category? And why can’t trans women play with the women? What physical advantage do they have in darts?
After reading and thinking about these issues for quite a while, I remain convinced that most of the hysteria (and I have chosen that word deliberately) is because men are afraid they will be beaten by the women. And there is a long history of coming up with ridiculous reasons to keep women out. For example:
A recent episode of “We Regret to Inform You” on CBC radio was about Bobbi Briggs and Kathrine Switzer, the two women who fought to run the Boston Marathon. In addition to being a really good episode, I finally learned where the advice about not running so your uterus won’t fall out came from. It was Switzer’s doctor. For the record, Switzer ran anyway, it didn’t fall out, and she ran the Boston marathon at 70 (her ninth time).
‘As soon as they begin to be your equals, they will have become your superiors,’ warned Roman senator Cato in the 3rd century BCE, as women protested a law limiting their access to certain goods.
Well. The idea that improving women’s status in society is somehow a first step on the road to total female domination clearly has had quite the shelf life, hasn’t it?
