First, I like your avatar. I have an 8 yr blue weim that looks just like yours!
Regarding the author of the article I posted, it was clear that he’s not onboard with the mainstream trans agenda, and I probably could of looked for a more neutral source of the news to avoid this type of reaction. It seems like a uniquely complex issue in pool, as the gender related performance differences in this game have always been a bit of a mysterious issue…
But I also think its a huge error to label someone that has strong opinions on the issue as transphobic. Just like its a massive error to label all folks that may not support BLM type stuff as racist. Likewise its equally not helpful to label everyone who opposes the recent SCOTUS federal law change on abortion as woke-tard baby-killers. Not everyone that simply disagrees falls into the category of transphobic or racists, etc - there are many cultural & value issues involved in these topics and immediate denigration of other’s views does nothing to get us back to sane society. Free speech means we have to all be willing to be offended & tolerate various things we each consider to be BS from others without getting offended or silencing them.
Finally, I’m a bit curious on the pond comment. I’m pretty well traveled in EU & Asia, and as far as I can tell these issues are dividing those cultures also, with plenty of vocal proponents on both sides, same as we have here.
I make it a point to not get sucked into NPR & political type discussions & have tried to not interject any of my own personal views into the trans aspects of this discussion, as I don’t think any of us are going to change anyone’s mind via an Internet forum. But this one seemed interesting as it does directly relate to the game we all love, which is hopefully the common bond we all have here on AZB & the primary reason for being here. So far the thread has been remarkably civil on a quite thorny topic - that seems like some positive progress.
Cheers
I'm a bit curious about a few of your comments...
-What exactly is the "mainstream trans agenda"? Sounds like some kind of an evil plot, but maybe you just misspoke.
-Is it really up for white people to decide "what's racist"? I mean, I could think that I'm not racist, but I'm also a middle class white dude who hasn't had some of the life experiences of black people.
-If someone wants to "label me" as a woke-tard baby killer for supporting abortion, I'm probably not going to value their opinion anyway because they're so entrenched in their opinion that it's not worth discussing (also known as tribalism).
-A lot of people get the "free speech" argument wrong. Free speech means that our govt lets you spout whatever crazy you want to without reprisal (within limits). It doesn't mean that a private citizen has to sit there and take it with a smile on your face.
The pond comment wasn't a statement on geopolitical societal values. The article came from a British magazine. Britain is "across the pond" from the US. We have people making uninformed judgments about transgenders in sports in the US also. They are usually in states with Republican-controlled legislatures.
Here's my problem with opinions...most of them are stupid. However, I do respect everyone's right to their own. I'm just saying that an opinion sounds a little better if there's something factual backing it up. And if you think that this thread has been civil, maybe NPR isn't such a crazy option for you?
aeon.co
about the subject, so there's that.