The TERFs are trying again
Dec. 12th, 2020 10:12 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kengrhttps://www.huffpost.com/entry/tulsi-gabbard-anti-transgender-bill-title-ix_n_5fd2de33c5b66a75841389b5
This is wrong-headed on so many levels.
First of all, it's pushing the idea that sex is binary, and strictly determined by external genetalia.
Second it assumes that "sex" is always determined correctly at birth.
Both of these points ignore the existence of intersex conditions.
Third, they claim (or at least strongly imply) without proof that that these trans girls have an unfair advantage over other girls.
This displays ignorance of the treatment protocols for trans kids. Standard recommended treatment for trans kids is to put them on puberty blockers until they are both determined to "actually" be trans (by the shrinks) and until they are old enough to be administered hormones (determined by the legislature and lawyers).
Before puberty, the supposed sexual differences in performance aren't as martked (and it's not uncommon for the *girls* to be bigger/stronger.
After puberty the girls are going to have the advantage over the trans girls because then trans girls aren't going to go thru puberty until they get approval. And when they do go thru puberty, it'll be a female one because of the hormones.
An important fourth point is that one of the most common reasons TERFs give for excluding trans women from "women's spaces" is that they didn't grow up as girls, that they don't have the experiences.
Well, this would turn that into a self-fulfilling prophecy by *denying* trans girls the experiences of other girls.
I also suspect that this law would be interpreted by the courts as forbidding girls on boys teams. Otherwise it is discriminating on the basis of "sex" (which it is anyway, but...).
That'll set up howls.
It'll also prevent boys from playing on girls teams even where that is allowed (for example, it could probably be used to keep boys off cheerleading squads).
I know there are rules in sports states that that allow girls to play on boys teams if there isn't a girls team. And I believe the opposite is sometimes true as well (but not often as just how many sports will have a girls team but not a boys one?)
This law would throw that out the window as well.
This is wrong-headed on so many levels.
First of all, it's pushing the idea that sex is binary, and strictly determined by external genetalia.
Second it assumes that "sex" is always determined correctly at birth.
Both of these points ignore the existence of intersex conditions.
Third, they claim (or at least strongly imply) without proof that that these trans girls have an unfair advantage over other girls.
This displays ignorance of the treatment protocols for trans kids. Standard recommended treatment for trans kids is to put them on puberty blockers until they are both determined to "actually" be trans (by the shrinks) and until they are old enough to be administered hormones (determined by the legislature and lawyers).
Before puberty, the supposed sexual differences in performance aren't as martked (and it's not uncommon for the *girls* to be bigger/stronger.
After puberty the girls are going to have the advantage over the trans girls because then trans girls aren't going to go thru puberty until they get approval. And when they do go thru puberty, it'll be a female one because of the hormones.
An important fourth point is that one of the most common reasons TERFs give for excluding trans women from "women's spaces" is that they didn't grow up as girls, that they don't have the experiences.
Well, this would turn that into a self-fulfilling prophecy by *denying* trans girls the experiences of other girls.
I also suspect that this law would be interpreted by the courts as forbidding girls on boys teams. Otherwise it is discriminating on the basis of "sex" (which it is anyway, but...).
That'll set up howls.
It'll also prevent boys from playing on girls teams even where that is allowed (for example, it could probably be used to keep boys off cheerleading squads).
I know there are rules in sports states that that allow girls to play on boys teams if there isn't a girls team. And I believe the opposite is sometimes true as well (but not often as just how many sports will have a girls team but not a boys one?)
This law would throw that out the window as well.
