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I don't know and honestly I don't care that much.
One of the massive practical issues people seem to overlook with regards to physiology, hormones and so on when it comes to trans women is that these variables don't exist in isolation.
Obviously you've all read the Stonewall report which @Calumonwheels posted. If you haven't, I'd strongly recommend that you do, but if you don't have time just read some of the quotes on that page.
Tell you what, I'll post a few here for ease of reference:
I get shouted at every single time I leave my house and threatened at least once a week. I try to closet myself from my family because I’m so close to getting kicked out. I can’t access hormone replacement therapy without going private. I’m disabled. It’s a lot to deal with and I’m crumbling under the stress but I consider myself a warrior. But really, something needs to change.
Even just five years ago it was not safe for me to come out as trans, the pace of change has been amazing. Unfortunately, there now appears to be a backlash against that progress in the last year with hate from the media against trans increasing disturbingly in the last six months. This increasing transphobia is accelerating and is causing acute anxiety in my daily life.
Do you not think that this wider marginalisation and discrimination might just disadvantage someone who was trying to live their best life as a racing cyclist?
Sport doesn't exist in a bubble.
This whole 'debate' is largely theoretical. TERFs love a good theoretical debate about something which isn't a problem in reality - c.f. trans women in women's toilets.
How about we worry about this stuff when it's not actually a problem? I.e. when society has progressed to a point where trans people don't face discrimination, harassment and abuse in their day-to-day lives?
Fox-
I think I'd just refer you back to @brokenbetty's posts on this. One thing that's clear from contributions here is that many people do feel pulled in two directions at once and that, while we're try to protect everyone from hate, when it comes to sport, many perceive there to be competing interests. Sport, as a physical endeavour and an area where women still lag substantially behind in terms of professional opportunities, is where we kind of hit bedrock in this conversation and have to talk about sex and the reasons why women have their own categories at all.
Obviously there are multiple sporting bodies having to make decisions here and this discussion is happening more widely across society. I get the impression that, specifically with regards to sport, the proposal that there is simply no discussion to be had is so far from the majority position for both sporting bodies and the public that it's weirdly counterproductive to assert it.
ffm
If this is your position, do you think that there should be any requirements with regard to hormone levels etc. for trans women, at least in elite professional sports?