snore

@1
Most reasonable people would agree with you.

@1 Perhaps. But I don't know how you can argue that there is no element of fear involved in passing a categorically proscriptive state law rather than allow school officials to make a case-by-case determination based on personal knowledge of their individual students. That seems to me the very definition of transphobic.

Let's see, there was that Masters trans weightlifter in Canada the other day, and that XXY S. African runner 15 years ago, and... um...

Trans athletes, like Drag Story Time and Library Books with cocks in them, are not an actual problem - it's basically a hypothetical threat to "the children" that gives Repukes a way to feel attacked and victimized by us All-Powerful Godless Librulz.

If you think it's a vital issue, let me draw your attention to the fucking Chess Federation FIDE turning itself in knots over trans chess players competing as women. It's CHESS, ding dongs; there's no physical prowess involved.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/aug/17/trans-women-banned-from-world-chess-events-while-review-takes-place

@6 Spot on. Decisions by folks like the chess federation do well in pulling off the mask of "protecting children" and show the true face of bigotry and hatred underneath. The lame attempts by the conservative factions to sell restrictions as being protectionary are sadly bolstered by closeted bigots who often respond to this forum.

@1 we're talking about chess. The fake outrage is getting really old

@7 Affirmation is the "only acceptable answer" in North Carolina??? Shirley, you jest.

“If you're a fan of Hudson, Hollingsworth's latest endorsement actually might be an okay omen.”

Were I a betting person, I would wager upon the Stranger’s writers crafting many more sentences of the form, “this [obviously clear advantage to Hollingsworth] is actually really good news for Hudson,” between now and November.

Obviously a whole slew of indictments is good news for Trump.

He can think about that in 2060 when his first appeal is denied, rotting in his jail cell.

@12 Hannah's point is that the 3rd isn't a very union-heavy district, and I would agree with that. What we have are lots of tech workers (highly paid but nearly all nonunion), retail/service workers (low-paid and perhaps union-friendly but not union-affiliated), students, and older homeowners (largely retired from the work force and/or independently wealthy). MLK Labor's endorsement probably holds less sway here than in any other district.

It's important to do that which makes you happy. Life is way too short to be unhappy trying to be something that you are not. I want everyone to find their right spot on the spectrum. But I don't know how you can win a gold medal in the women's 100m backstroke packing 7 inches of dick inside a tank suit.

I know. I sound disrespectful of a trans person's physical achievement - which might be remarkable. I don't mean to be ugly about it. Remember when East Germany started getting sanctioned for playing around with hormone therapy (whether the athelete was willingly participating or not)? How is that much different than this other than the starting point? One is: you are a woman and these hormones will improve your performance. The other is: The hormones will arrest that which has naturally occurred. It just isn't fair for a female stellar athelete at the top of her class, who grew up on estrogen for much of her life, to come in second to a person who grew up making testosterone for much of theirs/his even though they/she have/has interrupted that process.

It's not cool, perhaps, to say to someone, "No, you cannot swim with the women," but I find it other-worldly even contemplating it.

@16,

I think the difference in those two scenarios is fairly obvious. The Germans who were sanctioned for their behavior were messing with Olympic caliber athletes. We're talking about high school students here. To think that any high schooler is going through the traumatic, life altering ordeal that is gender reassignment surgery for the purpose of winning a few swim meets seems to me fundamentally absurd. The process to even qualify for said procedure involves a thorough and comprehensive slate of psychological assessments performed by QMHP's to determine the individual's motivation, preparedness and overall mental fitness.

I'd really hope and expect that if someone were thought to be even possibly pursuing such a life changing event for that purpose they would be flagged by a knowledgeable professional and denied the various authorizations and permissions necessary to follow through on it. And I'd not even be surprised if someone is able to link to a time or two that someone DID actually transition for this, or other similarly deceitful purpose, but I'm sure any such instances qualify as infinitesimally small exceptions as an overall percentage of trans folk.

@16 Bauhaus, I share this with respect, as you're one of the few commenters that makes occasionally reading the comments worthwhile.

I'd like you to consider two points.

What you suggest as an unfair advantage is based on your perception of what it is to be a trans woman athlete. Like Lia Thomas. She went fully through male puberty before transitioning. I think most people can at the very least see how that might seem unfair. But there are would-be trans girl athletes who will never go through male puberty. You would never know they weren't XX by looking at them. You're okay denying them access to school (and most organized) sports? Because they certainly aren't playing for the boys team. Is this something so pressing on the fabric of society that we really need to codify into law as a blanket determination no matter the circumstances?

Let's for the sake of argument agree it's unfair to let trans people access to school (and most organized) sports. Out of all the things that are unfair on a daily basis, to tens of millions of people in this country, do you think it's appropriate to focus this much attention on the "unfairness" of this issue that has affected how many people? Do you think it's worthwhile for all these lawmakers to be spending all this time on "trans issues" with all the pressing problems facing our nation? Do you ever wonder how Republicans have you spending your time debating this virtually non-existent issue? No matter what your political leanings or what you think is fair or unfair or right or wrong. Look at all these people arguing over "trans issues". Republicans know how to make everyone a tool.

Best to you.

@17 - Mike, I did not make the leap nor would I ever make the leap of saying someone would go through gender re-assignment to win more medals. I can only imagine the turmoil and courage that decision entails.

@18 - Thanks for the nice words, Pink. There wasn't too much objection when Rene Richards continued her tennis career as a woman - other than from opponents who thought she might have an unfair advantage. Didn't prove to be true in that case. Perhaps a solution is to take a cue from the boxing world and have competitions based on weight class. No boxing match would have a heavyweight fighting a welterweight even though both may be legends.

Insofar as all this anti-trans legislation goes - yeah, a sick political ploy to gather up the stupid and the "faithful." It's damaging to our country, makes us look a nation of Uncle Nabobs, and is completely unnecessary to anyone who has seen any of the outside world or has used critical thinking to question what Brother Billy Bob dictates on Sunday. There are great stretches of the US where girls are girls and boys are boys and there can be no variance to that without hell to pay. It still freaks them out in the sticks.

Finally, although we tell the children that anything is possible, and we want them to proceed with that as their reason to carry on, we know life imposes barriers for much of our pursuits. An indigenous kid who wants to grow up to be a surgeon can do that. The litlle Jewish boy in Phoenix who dreams of ice dancing, He can do that also. A middle-aged woman who has raised three children decides she wants to go back to school and study architecture. Done.

But I'm old and carry more weight than I should. I can diet like crazy. I can mummify myself in Spanx. I can slather on Polly Bergen's Turtle Cream on from tip to toe and apply Max Factor Pan-Stick with a putty knife, but they will never ever let me be Miss California.

I think I see what the chess federation is worried about. A women who (by virtue of going through early life as a male) possesses a prostate would obviously have an unfair ability to detect and respond to the anal beads used by her confederates to transmit information about the next moves.

https://www.vice.com/en/article/5d3w9z/did-hans-neimann-cheat-at-chess-with-a-sex-toy-this-coder-is-attempting-to-find-out.

It is funny watching TS twisting itself in knots trying to portray a woman of color who runs a cannabis business as an old school cigar-chomping conservative plutocrat. In today's example, they dismiss a major labor endorsement under the reasoning "nobody on Capitol Hill cares about unions anyway."

Progressivism!