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I appreciate you sharing your story and contributing your opinion to the debate.
I'd rather not go through a genital inspection
I don't think anyone would require you to do this, only to just be honest about your history. If we accept that we are not in a binary system, and sporting events are obviously limited in the number of categories they can create, then we must all be pigeonholed to some extent.
they wouldn't be welcome too
Everyone is being given the opportunity to compete. The only thing that has been clarified is where BC draw those lines in order to be fair to the majority of people. (Those people also being those who haven't taken hormone therapies or other physiologically altering procedures).
I don't think many of the races governed by these rules are considered 'for fun' and if fun is what you want from riding a bike, then generally I would advise heading far from BC or any kind of governing body.
chiroshi-
I don't think anyone would require you to do this, only to just be honest about your history.
Ah I see, rather than me exposing my genitals, they'd rather look at a data sheet so they can mentally picture it instead. I'm calling a spade a spade here, it's still creepy as hell.
If we accept that we are not in a binary system, and sporting events are obviously limited in the number of categories they can create, then we must all be pigeonholed to some extent.
Wasn't complaining about the lack of categories including non-binary people! We're all aware anyway that when we speak of "gendered" categories, they're referring to what sex you align to anyway.
It sucks, but it's something that's really water off a ducks back to me at this point. What does irk me, is that I don't get a say in what sex they're going to align me with.
Everyone is being given the opportunity to compete.
Akin to being told the disabled toilet was the "lesbian changing room", forcing women to participate in an open category when the only other category is womens is still forcing exclusion. It's basically saying "shed your identity at the door if you want to compete."
The only thing that has been clarified is where BC draw those lines in order to be fair to the majority of people. (Those people also being those who haven't taken hormone therapies or other physiologically altering procedures).
Don't know what I missed off earlier, but even without hormone therapies or "physiologically altering procedures" I wouldn't be classified as a "woman" despite being told I was at birth. It's actually incredibly common for a lot of women, including those with PCOS, thyroid problems, diabetes, to name a few. On top of that, women of colour typically have a higher average than white women across the board, hence why legislation like this will also have a knock-on effect to exclude women of colour. Category Woman was a great documentary recently released about this.
I don't think many of the races governed by these rules are considered 'for fun' and if fun is what you want from riding a bike, then generally I would advise heading far from BC or any kind of governing body.
If sport isn't 'for fun' then what is it? Eugenics? Proof of physiological betterment? I'd much rather go to the sound races, enjoyed having some beers at Fixed Crit and watching my mates skid round the track. Maybe I'll take up that, but the latter I won't be participating in, regardless of if it did appeal.
jjiimmii
Chiming in for my 2p.
I'm a non-binary person, because I've got a fanny, doctors said I'm female, so alot of my life I described myself as a woman. Up until recently starting testosterone, my testosterone levels were naturally anywhere between the 1.5 - 6 nmol/L range. Last bloods before I started testosterone they were actually at 5.2nmol/L.
I've had no clue why, but doctors never seemed to worry. Maybe it's PCOS, maybe it's endo, maybe it's that my genealogy doesn't neatly fit into archaic medical standards, maybe I'm intersex. Who fuckin knows. What I do know though, is that no doctor really seemed to blink an eye at it. Even to the extent where when I'm coming in, doubled over in pain, pointing at a blood test sheet going "MAYBE THIS IS SOMETHING TO DO WITH WHY ONCE A MONTH I'M CATATONICALLY IN PAIN", they said "No, those levels are very common for a lot of women. Don't worry if it's out of range."
Under British Cycling standards, I'd be put in the
mensopen category. Now I could get in to the semantics of whether segregating sport based on gender is rooted in patriarchal values, but I'll keep on topic.I've got a lot of trans friends. I'm trans myself, I've had a fair amount of shtick as a trans person ranging from not having a home, to getting my head almost drowned down a toilet for using the mens bathroom, to even just simple shit like nearing 20% of the time I use the womens toilets these days someone sparking up with comments about "are you sure this is the right one?". Ironically, to these women who thing I might be in the "wrong one", it doesn't seem to matter when I pull my shirt back and they see GGs, I don't fit their standard of who they feel comfortable pissing around.
Sports always been a point of contention for me, when I was in school, I was outed as a lesbian. Some people complained that they didn't want their daughters eyed up. I'm told I can now get changed in the disabled toilet. A year later, I just stop doing PE entirely, relentless comments got too much, I'd been pushed out and isolated.
Now as an adult, it's been great going along to rides, hikes, windsurfing, and being around people who I don't have this nagging fear of "if you could kill me, would you?". I went through some shit last year and started cycling around that time. It's been pretty great for the most part and got me through alot. Endorphins and that crap, probably got my brain through alot of it and after some health issues, cycling definitely got me out of my "can barely leave the house" slump.
News like this dampens it all, but I'm gonna still have fun on my bike, and have it known, I'm not letting that go.
I had considered maybe trying out for a race, training up, having some fun. Thought it might be a bit of catharsis given my disconcerted relationship with sports. Likely won't be happening now, because I'd rather not go through a genital inspection to ride round in a circle. That asides, I'd rather not shoot my friends who are women in the foot by participating in a race where they wouldn't be welcome too. Stands are likely full of speccy cunts who might have a pop at me if I happen to need the shitter anyway.
Tah to all of those people who come to this thread trying to sway the idiots, it's appreciated.