this post was submitted on 07 Dec 2023
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Asklemmy
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Gender when it comes to athletic sports should be determined by XX and XY chromosomes in order for it to be fair sports.
Chromosome pairs are not the determination for sex at birth. That's a thing we tell children because it's easier to understand. There are intersex people with different sets of chromosomes than that, and also with the chromosomes but the "wrong" sex. What determines sex is hormones during development. It's associated with chromosome pairs, but that isn't deterministic. This is why the conversation is so hard, because hormones determine everything, and we have the ability to control hormones now.
Also, sexual differentiation for physical ability only really happens during puberty. Before then, male and female children are identically capable. Considering that, where do puberty blockers or other hormone treatment land when used before puberty in this conversation? Also, where does long term hormone treatment land?
This whole thing has been overblown and not properly understood because some people have an agenda to turn people against trans people, and it's an easy target. Sadly, sex doesn't work based on their child level understanding of it, and the people pushing it have no incentive to expand anyone's understanding, and likely not their own either.
Edit: I also want to add that hormone testing isn't a great idea either. The captain of the Zambia soccer team was disqualified because her testosterone levels were too high naturally, despite being born female and birth and not doing anything to change things. It turns out that everyone has testosterone and estrogen to varying levels, and physical ability changes drastically from person to person regardless of hormones as well. This topic is so much more difficult than the simple solutions some people propose.
When you say they're born with the "wrong sex" do you mean they have chromosomes commonly associated with one gender, but have the genitalia of another?
I'm sensitive to hurting people's feelings on this issue so just stear clear of ever asking questions or stating opinion on it - plus I'm hardly qualified for the latter. Sadly the side effect of this is that I am completely ignorant. Even more sad: I'd rather be ignorant than a pariah. Too many people getting ostracised for being ignorant.
Yeah, that's what I meant by "wrong" in that. Their genitalia doesn't match expectation based on chromosomes.
The problem is that bigots lean on the "JuSt AsKiNg QuEsTiOnS" narrative so they can waste people's time providing context and sources just to call it all fake.
Don't take it personally.
Yeah good point I forgot about those...such a damn shame because it also makes it really hard for the honestly ignorant because it's like "no stfu I actually need to know this!"
why is gender the only genetic advantage that should be accounted for?
what about those with XYY, XXY, XXYY, and XXX?
which side do they play for?
While we're focused on fairness let's also match by height, and weight, wingspan, general body type, age, years of experience, amount spent on coaching, support of parents, emotional stability, and wrist circumference.
Wouldn't want to be unfair.
I like your thinking!
Iโm more of the opinion that it should be a height/ weight thing. Or a performance based analysis e.g. you could make sprinter tiers for people within a few seconds of each other based on personal averages. I mean this sort of system already exists for making leagues and tiers right now, we just also split by sex.
I'm not a sports person but it seems like chess and video game match making have had this figured out for a while: just play ranked. Your rank can change at official events, like when you're competing, and everyone gets matched with people around their skill level/ability, with the occasional hotshot rising through the ranks blowing everyone away.
chess discriminates by gender and recently moved to strip trans men of titles earned before they came out when they competed as women
Oh okay, that was a bad example then.
Weight class is already built into wrestling at all levels. If it's such a concern, build it into other sports, like you said.
You're lacking a lot of information about chromosomes and hormones in cis people.
Who cares