Sport

 When I was growing up there was a young man in the West Country who had lost a leg in some sort of accident. Rather than feel sorry for himself he decided to try to overcome his disability on the sports field. He took up high jumping. He would hop rapidly up to the bar and perform a forward roll onto his back on the other side. After a lot of practice he got to be pretty good and started to win competitions against able bodied athletes. But then complaints were made, on the grounds that he had an unfair advantage; his centre of gravity was higher than normal by reason of his missing leg, and this made it easier to clear the bar. So the Amateur Athletics Association banned him from competition. 

There was an understandable uproar, and his case was reconsidered, though after the initial novelty the story faded from the papers so I don’t know the outcome. I remember thinking that perhaps the AAA was afraid young men all across the country might start having their legs amputated in order to improve their high jumping chances. 

A lot of heat is generated over the question of trans athletes, mostly trans women, because, it’s said, growing up with testosterone in the body leads to physiological differences which in some sports gives them an advantage. 

Well that’s true. But does anyone think that any natal man would undergo transition to win weightlifting competitions? 

I’m not trans, but I’m pretty sure that transitioning is a difficult and daunting process that nobody undertakes without a deep felt and desperate need to align their body with their psyche. That’s the case even today when transitioning is better understood and more accepted than when the concept first arose sixty or so years ago. I suspect it will still be difficult even in the future when it’s fully accepted by everyone as something some people feel they have to do. Then it will be a case of “so what?” 

But trans women will still transition because it’s something they have to do to be at peace with themselves. Yes a small side effect might give them more strength but for them that’s trivial. 

So If you think it’s ok to ban young men with one leg from competition then I guess it’s ok to ban trans women too. But that’s no reason to force her use the men’s loo or changing room. That’s what really hurts