Facts! (stranger than fiction)

 I previously wrote about how including biological males in women's sports harms womens sports. I went to great lengths to explain what is so obvious it shouldn't be open for debate. However, there are still voices attempting the same old illogical leaps of faith by using the same old tired tropes. But they're not even attempting to use different rhetoric to propmote the same argument they're using the "exact same articles" Yet again, we're subjected to this ACLU article from 2020

ACLU Article

It claims facts are myths and presents myths as factual, quite the switcheroo

So how do they break down these myths (otherwise known as facts)?

Switcheroo 1

FACT: Including trans athletes will benefit everyone.

MYTH: The participation of trans athletes hurts cis women.

The first part of this "debunking" claims that some kind of mysterious dark force is active here in order to divide and conquer. But there is no mysterious dark force, its ok to recognise that women are not able to build up muscle mass as well as men, they are not as fast, neither are they as strong. What we do when we segregate male and female sport is we recognise that women are phenomenal athletes but because of biological differences we allow them to shine.

The ACLU myth buster however reaches in to the far reaches of your brain and attempts to manipulate you into thinking that in segregating sports we are actually harming women because we reinforce a stereotype that women are weaker and in need of protection. This is merely a feeble attempt to manipulate your subconscious. In sports, women are disadvantaged due to biology, they are not "less than" they are merely disadvantaged and sport reflects that.

The next part in the ACLU's attempts of debunking facts suggests that women perform best when they are exposed to "caring environments" and a caring environment would include trans women.

Well, I can't see this myself, a biologically advantaged male in women's sports is not going to allow women to perform best. Good coaching, healthy diet and fair competition are environments where women perform best.

So ACLU hasn't busted this first "myth" which appears to be simply "trans women in women's sports helps them because its inclusive and caring" Yeah, not the most persuasive of arguments. So lets move onto fact number 2

FACT: Trans athletes do not have an unfair advantage in sports.

MYTH: Trans athletes’ physiological characteristics provide an unfair advantage over cis athletes.

In what will surprise nobody, this myth busting is also a little light on facts. It goes into a bit of detail which tells us what we already know, some women are better at sports than other women, we already know this. Some girls are taller, have greater lung capacity, have stronger bodies. Much in the same way not all men are built the same, some have genetic advantages. 

But this doesn't debunk the fact that a biological male has massive advantages over a biological female all things considered equal. Here we do have an actual doctors opinion. Dr. Joshua Safer who is an expert of Trans health and safety. What Safer isn't an expert in though is sports science. In this "fact" debunking she is quoted as claiming

“A person’s genetic make-up and internal and external reproductive anatomy are not useful indicators of athletic performance"

Now, if you were comparing women with women, in general this would be true. But we're not, we're comparing women with men, we know there are many useful indicators toward athletic performance between men and women. Larger frames, increased lung capacity, higher testosterone, narrower hips, weight displacement, muscle mass so on and so forth.

Again, just another shameful attempt to blur the lines. A terrible argument and a debunking value of 0. So lets now have a look at "myth" number 3.

FACT: Trans girls are girls.

MYTH: Sex is binary, apparent at birth, and identifiable through singular biological characteristics. 

More from Dr. Safer here I wont dwell on this "myth too much simply because its little more than word salad, but the last part of this argument regards sex being "assigned at birth" It isn't (apart from extreme rare cases) sex is observed and recorded as such. 

To not accept trans athletes as the gender they identify them as such because it harms and disrupts their treatment is a terrible argument. Sport is inclusive for everyone, even those that struggle with their identity. But it is inclusive based on an ironclad biological reality. Another terrible attempt at busting what the ACLU believe to be a myth. So finally, lets get onto myth 4.

FACT: Trans people belong on the same teams as other students.

MYTH: Trans students need separate teams.

Well, while there is an argument from some people that maybe we need a third category for trans athletes, it is by no means an overwhelming majority opinion, to suggest it is a myth seems rather bizarre.

The ACLU are now quoting Helen Carroll who claims that trans athletes have always been able to play sports according to their desired gender. With little to no evidence, its a very weak statement, mainly because empirically, evidence suggests the complete opposite.

And more claims that it harms trans athletes, quite worrying that they dismiss the very valid claim that it harms biological girls and women.

In the final summing up, the opinion is that not involving trans athletes labels them as outsiders and misfits deserving of hostility.

On the contrary though, trans athletes who compete in their biological category face no hostility at all! In fact! The only hostility trans athletes face is when biological men compete against biological women because we know that this isn't a fair playing field for girls and women.

Such a terrible, terrible argument. I feel saddened for having to even have ever read it.