I know I'm ignorant about a lot of things. I really would like to understand where the author's views come from. She implies that Sophie Cunningham's opinion springs from phobia and hate. I don't know what evidence backs that up. Maybe there is plenty of evidence, but it isn't detailed in the article. It seems to me (in my ignorance) that Cunningham's comments could just as likely have come from her perception that trans competitors can have the advantage of greater size, weight, and strength. Surely that isn't universally true, but in some cases, it will be true. So is Cunningham simply reacting to that element of unfairness? Does she deserve to be vilified?
hi John - if I may: before maga made it an issue, did you ever hear about trans girls and women in sports? did you ever think about it? I'd venture the answer is no. maga made this another front in the culture war to cultivate fear and rile up the base, just as it has done with "migrant caravans" and "eating the cats and dogs." they don't want voters upset over real issues - their stagnant wages or terrible health care for example - so they cook up boogeymen. it's why the "welfare queen" trope has endured: it paints Black women as lazy and always looking for a handout, when the truth is right now the biggest welfare queen in the country is Elon Musk.
as to unfairness, there isn't a lot of data yet, but what there is shows that after two years of treatment, transgender women lose muscle mass and efficiency of breathing, though a small advantage in grip strength can remain. which is to say, they really don't have an advantage in most sports. but also, sports isn't always fair. Sophie is 6-foot-1; doesn't that give her an advantage over Dream guard Jordin Canada, who is just 5-foot-6? if Jordin is on the court, should Sophie have to head to the bench? of course not.
finally, the big tell for people like Sophie is the language. she said "biological girls" shouldn't have "men" in their locker room. no one is advocating for grown men to be present when 12-year old girls are getting ready for a game, but stories of grown men coaching young girls and grooming them or molesting them aren't hard to find. Larry Nasser molested and sexually assaulted literally hundreds of girls and young women in his roles with USA Gymnastics and Michigan State. so who is really the danger?
this went on longer than intended, but hopefully I've clarified my thoughts. thank you for reading.
Shalise, I appreciate your thoughts. I think you and I are on the same page when it comes to MAGA and their culture wars. I also think that Larry Nasser’s behavior has nothing to do with trans matters in sports. My only question was about Cunningham’s reasons, and this is the first I’ve heard of her comment on men in girls’ locker rooms. If she was referring specifically to 12-year olds, I agree that would be a disingenuous comment, since, as you say, nobody is advocating that. But I can still imagine that women's sports could be negatively impacted if more than a few men are attracted to the “easy” money to be made by transitioning. It will be interesting to see how this debate evolves over the next few seasons.
The thing that amazes me is so far, nobody seems to have mentioned Renée Richards.
This is not a new issue. And it's not the cataclysmic threat that the radical right-wing would have us believe. We've lived with this for a long time just fine.
you're right, James; this isn't new, and it really is a non-issue that they've made into one because they literally have nothing else to offer but hate of the "other." unfortunately the seemingly unending torrent of hate is having real, harmful effects on trans girls in terms of their mental and emotional health and physical safety.
A few years ago, I was reading comments on an article about a Midwestern congressman -- a Republican -- who was being primaried from the right. A constituent commented that she was going to vote for his opponent because "he's not hurting the people we elected him to hurt."
The cruelty is the whole point. How did we come to this?
And the irony is that the overwhelming majority of these people actually think that they're Christians.
i watch way too many podcasts, but i think it was Jen Welch i saw last month who called it "recreational cruelty" and to me that's just a perfect way to frame it. it is frightening how many people currently in government aren't just in positions to hurt us, but seem to relish it.
as relates to the demonization of trans girls and women, the thing that i need more people to realize is that this is just where they're starting. once enough people are comfortable with harming that "out" group, they'll move on to the next smallest one and so on. you may not understand the feelings that trans people have, but you don't have to; they are humans and as such should be allowed to live their lives. there is a reason the Niemöller poem has endured, and for that reason i will not consider a single 2028 dem candidate who sees no issue throwing trans people under the bus because as a Black woman, if you'll harm trans folk for your career, eventually you'd be ok with my children being harmed too.
I've mentioned Renee Richards a number of times on Huffpost. Ms. Richards top ranking was 20th worldwide during a time when Women's Tennis, let alone tennis at all, was no so dominated by the like of Chris Everett, Martina Navratilova, let alone the Williams sisters. I'm sure Steffi Graff, Monica Seles, Margaret Court, Evonne Goolagong Cawley would have beaten Ms. Richards.
And what is all of this about; but GOP dividing Americans on another social issue. I agree with the dissenters on the Supreme Court, let science determine whether or not there is a clear advantage and go from there.
I'm not on Huffpost, but good on you. Don't you get tired of these distractions? Just one phony outrage after another to hide the fact that they're picking our pockets, raping our daughters, and shredding the Bill of Rights.
With the full support of the six Christian Nationalists on the Supreme Court and GOP Congressional members the Felon continues in his quest to make the United States an authoritarian theocracy, with the Felon as leader and the American oligarchs running the Country (Putin's Russia). Unfortunately so many Americans are having to focus on placing food on the table, healthcare costs, and housing costs, the vast majority of Americans are unable to focus on the Felon and the American oligarchs taking over American's daily lives. The transfer of wealth from the Middle Class and the poor to the top 1% in the Felon's America has not been seen in my lifetime (70+years), and is even far greater than Putin's Russia.
I have said for a number of years now that Citizens United may well prove to be the fatal wound to our way of life. Money now completely controls our elections. Democrats also have to dance to the oligarchs' tune to get enough money to be competitive. The oligarchs appear to be sensing their endgame.
I subscribe to The Athletic, an online sports site(part of the NYT). Since Caitlin Clark entered the WNBA any article the site runs on the WNBA sees an influx of bros who just have to comment and denigrate WNBA players who have committed the bro sin of defending Clark,and fouling her.
The bros have now adopted Sophie Cunningham as their mascot.
I think that the bros are very uncomfortable watching a sport played by queer and Black women. Their ideal WNBA would be a league populated with white, straight blonde princesses who provide the bros with material for their fantasies.
I know I'm ignorant about a lot of things. I really would like to understand where the author's views come from. She implies that Sophie Cunningham's opinion springs from phobia and hate. I don't know what evidence backs that up. Maybe there is plenty of evidence, but it isn't detailed in the article. It seems to me (in my ignorance) that Cunningham's comments could just as likely have come from her perception that trans competitors can have the advantage of greater size, weight, and strength. Surely that isn't universally true, but in some cases, it will be true. So is Cunningham simply reacting to that element of unfairness? Does she deserve to be vilified?
hi John - if I may: before maga made it an issue, did you ever hear about trans girls and women in sports? did you ever think about it? I'd venture the answer is no. maga made this another front in the culture war to cultivate fear and rile up the base, just as it has done with "migrant caravans" and "eating the cats and dogs." they don't want voters upset over real issues - their stagnant wages or terrible health care for example - so they cook up boogeymen. it's why the "welfare queen" trope has endured: it paints Black women as lazy and always looking for a handout, when the truth is right now the biggest welfare queen in the country is Elon Musk.
as to unfairness, there isn't a lot of data yet, but what there is shows that after two years of treatment, transgender women lose muscle mass and efficiency of breathing, though a small advantage in grip strength can remain. which is to say, they really don't have an advantage in most sports. but also, sports isn't always fair. Sophie is 6-foot-1; doesn't that give her an advantage over Dream guard Jordin Canada, who is just 5-foot-6? if Jordin is on the court, should Sophie have to head to the bench? of course not.
finally, the big tell for people like Sophie is the language. she said "biological girls" shouldn't have "men" in their locker room. no one is advocating for grown men to be present when 12-year old girls are getting ready for a game, but stories of grown men coaching young girls and grooming them or molesting them aren't hard to find. Larry Nasser molested and sexually assaulted literally hundreds of girls and young women in his roles with USA Gymnastics and Michigan State. so who is really the danger?
this went on longer than intended, but hopefully I've clarified my thoughts. thank you for reading.
Shalise, I appreciate your thoughts. I think you and I are on the same page when it comes to MAGA and their culture wars. I also think that Larry Nasser’s behavior has nothing to do with trans matters in sports. My only question was about Cunningham’s reasons, and this is the first I’ve heard of her comment on men in girls’ locker rooms. If she was referring specifically to 12-year olds, I agree that would be a disingenuous comment, since, as you say, nobody is advocating that. But I can still imagine that women's sports could be negatively impacted if more than a few men are attracted to the “easy” money to be made by transitioning. It will be interesting to see how this debate evolves over the next few seasons.
The thing that amazes me is so far, nobody seems to have mentioned Renée Richards.
This is not a new issue. And it's not the cataclysmic threat that the radical right-wing would have us believe. We've lived with this for a long time just fine.
you're right, James; this isn't new, and it really is a non-issue that they've made into one because they literally have nothing else to offer but hate of the "other." unfortunately the seemingly unending torrent of hate is having real, harmful effects on trans girls in terms of their mental and emotional health and physical safety.
thank you for reading
A few years ago, I was reading comments on an article about a Midwestern congressman -- a Republican -- who was being primaried from the right. A constituent commented that she was going to vote for his opponent because "he's not hurting the people we elected him to hurt."
The cruelty is the whole point. How did we come to this?
And the irony is that the overwhelming majority of these people actually think that they're Christians.
i watch way too many podcasts, but i think it was Jen Welch i saw last month who called it "recreational cruelty" and to me that's just a perfect way to frame it. it is frightening how many people currently in government aren't just in positions to hurt us, but seem to relish it.
as relates to the demonization of trans girls and women, the thing that i need more people to realize is that this is just where they're starting. once enough people are comfortable with harming that "out" group, they'll move on to the next smallest one and so on. you may not understand the feelings that trans people have, but you don't have to; they are humans and as such should be allowed to live their lives. there is a reason the Niemöller poem has endured, and for that reason i will not consider a single 2028 dem candidate who sees no issue throwing trans people under the bus because as a Black woman, if you'll harm trans folk for your career, eventually you'd be ok with my children being harmed too.
I've mentioned Renee Richards a number of times on Huffpost. Ms. Richards top ranking was 20th worldwide during a time when Women's Tennis, let alone tennis at all, was no so dominated by the like of Chris Everett, Martina Navratilova, let alone the Williams sisters. I'm sure Steffi Graff, Monica Seles, Margaret Court, Evonne Goolagong Cawley would have beaten Ms. Richards.
And what is all of this about; but GOP dividing Americans on another social issue. I agree with the dissenters on the Supreme Court, let science determine whether or not there is a clear advantage and go from there.
I'm not on Huffpost, but good on you. Don't you get tired of these distractions? Just one phony outrage after another to hide the fact that they're picking our pockets, raping our daughters, and shredding the Bill of Rights.
With the full support of the six Christian Nationalists on the Supreme Court and GOP Congressional members the Felon continues in his quest to make the United States an authoritarian theocracy, with the Felon as leader and the American oligarchs running the Country (Putin's Russia). Unfortunately so many Americans are having to focus on placing food on the table, healthcare costs, and housing costs, the vast majority of Americans are unable to focus on the Felon and the American oligarchs taking over American's daily lives. The transfer of wealth from the Middle Class and the poor to the top 1% in the Felon's America has not been seen in my lifetime (70+years), and is even far greater than Putin's Russia.
I have said for a number of years now that Citizens United may well prove to be the fatal wound to our way of life. Money now completely controls our elections. Democrats also have to dance to the oligarchs' tune to get enough money to be competitive. The oligarchs appear to be sensing their endgame.
I subscribe to The Athletic, an online sports site(part of the NYT). Since Caitlin Clark entered the WNBA any article the site runs on the WNBA sees an influx of bros who just have to comment and denigrate WNBA players who have committed the bro sin of defending Clark,and fouling her.
The bros have now adopted Sophie Cunningham as their mascot.
I think that the bros are very uncomfortable watching a sport played by queer and Black women. Their ideal WNBA would be a league populated with white, straight blonde princesses who provide the bros with material for their fantasies.
The USA Network, prior to her transphobic episodes, gave her a job as an announcer.
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/sophie-cunningham-set-usa-network-183237358.html