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RE: DAWN STALEY WENT WOKE AGAIN
Dear Editor,
I find it remarkable how you can agree that institutional racism exists and recognize Coach Dawn Staley’s walking the walk with regard to the incredible dedication it takes to be a black woman in basketball, to then fall into Trumpian grievance mode about transgender athletes. This is typical right-wing rhetoric meant to push for its Christian-based anti-liberty agenda especially when it comes to women.
Is the coach not allowed her opinion on something that she has demonstrated to be one of the elite thinkers, performers and educators? In what way are you even qualified to comment on women’s sports?
Stanton Green, PhD
Professor Emeritus of Anthropology
University of South Carolina
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FROM THE EDITOR …
Dr. Green,
Thank you for taking the time to respond. My point was it doesn’t take an expert to deduce that if biological men are permitted to compete in women’s sports, it’s not really “women’s” sports anymore.
Still, I appreciate your letter and your perspective. Your views are always welcome here and I hope you’ll share them again with us in the future!
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14 comments
“In what way are you even qualified to comment on women’s sports?”
He’s probably as qualified as an anthropology professor…
I’ve been involved in refereeing men’s and women’s sports for about 40 years – specifically swimming. It is possible to directly observe the differences in the male and female body in swimming. Post puberty, male transitions have physical advantages that are generally insurmountable by normal female swimmers. This same advantage is demonstrated in all sports to some degree.
If biological men, meaning people who were born males and complete puberty, are allowed to compete in women’s sports regardless of transition status – women’s sports will cease to exist as we know them. You’ll notice that my sport’s governing body FIFA has finally gotten their head’s out and effectively banned transgenders from competing in women’s sport. The currents best female swimmer in the world (debatable) Katie Ledeckie swam a world record 3:56 400 m free, she traditionally swims that event at 3:58. “Lia” Thomas’ best 400 was a 4 flat – a time that wouldn’t medal in women’s sports but wouldn’t even make the finals in men’s event (the current WR is 3:40). In fact, as a male, Thomas ranked 544 in the NCAA in the freestyle, by simply changing bathing suits, and completing as a woman he jumped to #5. That jump means that one woman did not get a chance to compete in the finals (generally 8-10 swimmers will swim in the finals in SUSA and NCAA and the Olympics) Thomas is taking the hormone regimen to begin his transition but at 73 inches, he is already at the top of the 99th percentile for height (don’t think that’s an advantage in women’s sports, try rebounding with Kamilla Cardoso). Height in swimming is an advantage (HS = 1.34 x ?LWL). His chest cavity/lung capacity is far larger than most female, even Ledeckie’s and she is freakishly formed, much like Michael Phelps. Greater lung capacity in swimming (and most other sports) is a huge advantage.
To bring it home a little, SCHSL swimmers swim the 500 meter free, not the 400. The boy’s record is a 4:33 and to even swim in the state championship meet this year you needed a seed time of 4:40. The girl’s record is 5:19 and no girl in SCHSL history has ever swam fast enough to even be seeded in the boy’s event. If Thomas was a SC high school student some young lady would have been deprived of the opportunity to swim – in the girl’s meet.
You’ll also notice no serious cry for “trans sports” leagues either, because it doesn’t give any advantage to the “oppressed minority”. Stick to cavemen prof – you don’t know doodle about sports, men’s or women’s.
“You’ll also notice no serious cry for “trans sports” leagues either”
I don’t hear a serious cry for this from conservatives either. Mostly all we hear from the right is conservatives trying to align LGBT with pedophilic grooming for the heinous act of existing, or trying to otherwise silence or disappear trans people from the public sphere, in some cases openly advocating for such.
I can only imagine the average conservative’s reaction to any school, K-12 or college level, public or private, starting a trans sports league of any kind. The amount of Orwellian nonsense Florida is up to over a book mentioning gay people existing or slavery being a thing would pale in comparison.
I mean, “separate but equal” sure worked out great all the other times we tried it, right?
We’re talking competitive sports not non merit based opportunities.
So who decides if a transgender person can compete in women’s swimming? Do you even know? If you read up on it, you’ll see most of the differing sports governing bodies use testosterone levels as the test, and it makes sense. The ncaa doesn’t make that call they turned governing of this issue to the sports governing bodies, which makes total sense. I can see your confusion, as normally the ncaa doesn’t make much sense.
Do I know the policy – why yes, I do know. I’ve had many more hours of training and discussion on the subject than I frankly think it was worth. We have training on everything from how to swim the strokes to what bathing suits are allowed…
Since you asked, Swim USA (the body I have normally worked under adopted their current policy 19.0 Athlete Inclusion, Competitive Equity, and Eligibility last March. We have different policies for male to female and female to male swimmers.
For Female to male swimmers, fundamentally, all they must say is “I’m a dude”. Why? Simple there is NO advantage for a swimmer born female to swim against guys at this level. Seriously, female to male is one paragraph.
Male to female transition actually has different rules based on the age and type of competition (elite versus “normal swimmer) and the age of the swimmer. The initial discussion runs for a full page. At the 13-14 level or above level, the discussion runs for three pages (with an additional page or two of World Aqutics information and an appeals process) The policy is based in part on Tanner stage and testosterone levels: “Tanner Stage 2 or before age 12 whichever is later, and they have since continuously maintained their testosterone levels in serum (or plasma) below 2.5 nmol/L”
Swim USA and FINA actually have boards that meets to determine eligibility at the “elite level” – not for female to male, but only for male to female. Who is being protected?
Since Will doesn’t like us to post links, if you’d like to see this discussion for Swim USA, google “USA swimming policy 19 pdf” or the FINA/World Aquatics rules google “POLICY ON ELIGIBILITY FOR THE MEN’S AND WOMEN’S COMPETITION CATEGORIES”
For the record, NCAA rules say 10 nmol/L
Correction, it was lowered to 5 nmol/L beginning this season (still WAY to high) . Thomas still has a penis and testicles, and they competed under the 10 nmol/L rule.
So you make my point, it is a non issue, the governing body is involved and has fairly restrictive guidelines. There is no need for govt to get involved here, and this is a nothing issue. If you listen to some you would think there is an army of transgender athletes just waoting to kill our daughters. It’s simply not true.
You are still missing the point – XX and XY. Physically XY has an advantage therefore, it is patently unfair for people born XY to compete in sports designated for XX. I’m not worried about killing daughters, I just understand the idea of fairness in competition. If you’re born XY, after age 10 or so, you have an unfair advantage over XX. I’m not worried about anyone wanting to kill anyone. It’s not even “an army” – TGs might amount to 1% of the population but frankly, I’m not willing to change the rules for the 1% – that’s not how the system works.
Aw, screw it, everyone gets a trophy anyway right?
Looks like the NAIA agrees with me as well…
Will do you even know what the rules are for transgender players to compete? Based on your article, I’d say no. Please look up the actual rules and you’ll see that this is really a non issue. Please point me to the line of transgender players we should be concerned with. It doesn’t exist. I would say you aren’t qualified to comment on an issue you haven’t properly researched, but spout your opinion as is your right. I just wish it was a well researched one.
Staley was gob-smacked by the question of the reporter. After scratching her head for a couple of minutes, she reverted to the standard woke talking points we hear all day every day on media. My question is: who will save the unfortunate anthropology students at USC?
Professor of anthropology…..LOL. She has every right to her opinion and when it’s wrong, as this one clearly is, expect to be blasted for it…….
Genesis 1:27