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Transpeople and Fairness in Athletic Competitions

posted by LaminatorX on Friday March 07 2014, @03:07PM   Printer-friendly
from the is-it-plaintiff-or-plaintive dept.

GungnirSniper writes:

"CNN reports a 'transgender woman prohibited from competing in a strength competition as a female is suing' CrossFit for sponsoring the competition. The plaintiff, Chloie Jonnson, 'had sexual reassignment surgery in 2006 and has been on female hormone therapy, according to her lawsuit.' She is also 'legally recognized by California as a woman.'

CrossFit maintains that Jonnson was born as a male, so she should compete in the men's division, according to a letter from the company's lawyer to Jonnson's attorney. It also stated that the company had an 'obligation to protect the 'rights' of all competitors and the competition itself.'

'The fundamental, ineluctable fact is that a male competitor who has a sex reassignment procedure still has a genetic makeup that confers a physical and physiological advantage over women,' according to the letter from CrossFit's lawyer sent in October.

This comes shortly after the Virginia High School League changed its rules to allow transgender students to play sports. Slate has its take on 'arguable concerns of unfair advantage.'

Should the rules take into account the age the person transitioned, hormone levels, or surgical status?"

 
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  • (Score: 5, Insightful) by zim on Friday March 07 2014, @07:36PM

    by zim (1251) on Friday March 07 2014, @07:36PM (#12885)
    Their contest. Their rules.

    All the arguments about hormones and gender are irrevelant. It's their contest. They get to make what ever stupid rules they want.

    Simple as that. In this case anyway.

    Up until public money is used to run the contest... THEN you've got a mess to deal with and someone is going to be unhappy no matter how you slice it.
    Starting Score:    1  point
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  • (Score: 0, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 07 2014, @08:43PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 07 2014, @08:43PM (#12916)

    Many sports ban any sort of enhancements. Just because you decided to mutilate your body to look like a woman does not turn you into one. It just means you have decided to hide what you really are. How is this any different than someone taking steroids to have an advantage over the other players?

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 07 2014, @09:17PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 07 2014, @09:17PM (#12932)

      Troll ^