Posted on 07/11/2020 5:18:24 PM PDT by kathsua
Teen athletes have traditionally been classified as "boys" or "girls" so that girls can participate in sports without having to compete against boys who are usually stronger and faster than girls. This system worked as long as everyone agreed on which athletes were girls and which athletes were boys. Today some disagree about who qualifies as girls and who qualifies as boys.
One thing hasn't changed. There are two different genetic types of athletes. One type has two "X" chromosomes. The other has an "XY" combination of chromosomes. Athletes who have an "XY" combination of chromosomes are usually stronger and faster than athletes who have two "X" chromosomes.
To insure everyone an equal opportunity to participate in sports athletes who have an "XY" combination of chromosomes should not compete against athletes who have two "X" chromosomes.
The "Y" chromosome can be detected using a microscope because it is shorter than the "X" chromosome. Thus it would be easy to divide athletes into "X" and "Y" groups.
Athletes might want to give the groups names like "Xenas" and "Yodas".
In other words, they should be classified by their sex.
Come on, it’s 2020. That is too reasonable to even consider.
I have long said that a simple DNA test before contests would solve this. XXs should not be forced to compete against XYs. Period.
I’m so progressive on this issue. One classification: Human. All sports, all events.
Or, anyone who has ever been exposed to high levels of testosterone cannot compete against those who have not been so exposed.
This eliminates XX types who have doped using T to improve performance and also XY types that have achieved puberty and been exposed to T.
Some M2F XY trans people who because of medical treatment are never exposed to high T levels could compete on an equal footing with XX types.
Of course F2M XX types should be free to compete with XY types if they can make the team on merit alone.
It is only fair that girls never exposed to high T levels should not be expected to compete with those that have...nor should they have to compete with pubescent boys who will have an enormous advantage.
Girls can sometimes have an above normal level of T, especially during puberty. This gives them an advantage but not one gained unfairly so they should be allowed to compete on girls teams... These girls can often present with an acne problem because of the above normal level of T they have.
In males and females alike the adrenal gland can produce T. Also, the liver can convert steroids from one to the other.
In general the finest female athletes have a slightly elevated T compared to the average....T is very powerful and sometimes a little bit goes a long way.. this is of course unwanted by girls as it leads to acne, hirsuitism, male pattern hair loss and a slightly masculine voice.
The argument to protect fairness in girls sports is best made using T exposure as the criterion and not XX/XY.
T is a performance enhancement drug of the first order...it is hard to argue that those with the enhancement should compete against those who are not so enhanced.
The argument is a less bitter pill since it would allow for XY children who because of medical treatment are not exposed to high T levels to play on girls teams....since they would be physically equal to the girls.
“Thus it would be easy to divide athletes into “X” and “Y” groups.
Athletes might want to give the groups names like “Xenas” and “Yodas”. “
Or you could just call the XY group “boys” and the XX group “girls”.
The differences go beyond hormones. Skeletal structure, bone mass, fast twitch muscle, and muscle mass are different.
It may come as a shock to the modern mind, but males and females are different in many, many ways.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.