Believe it or not, the United Nations recently released a report condemning men's participation in women-only sports, stating that men pose physical and psychological risks to women and deny them opportunities for success. I pointed out that
Reem Al-Salem, UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, said in a press release in October that “women and girls already face a combination of disadvantages that prevent them from participating equally and effectively in sport. “There is,” he said. “Furthermore, the intrusion of women-identifying men into women-only sports and related spaces further undermines women’s ability to play sports in conditions of safety, dignity, and fairness.”
sex and violence
Al Salem's report says that “deliberately” increasing the risk to female athletes by “deliberately” allowing men to compete with them leads to injuries that are “characterized as 'violence'” claims.
“When sports spaces reserved for women are opened up to men, female athletes are more susceptible to serious physical injuries,” she points out. She cites examples of “injuries include tooth extractions, concussions that cause neurological damage, broken legs, fractured skulls, etc.” in various sports.
Of course, this happens because men are on average larger and stronger than women. Al-Salem points to sports medicine research that shows that even in non-elite sports, the weakest men produced more force than the strongest women.
Attempts by men to “transition” to women through drugs or hormones do little to alleviate the physical benefits. Additionally, such methods “could be harmful to the health of the athletes involved,” Al-Salem said. Also, while biological women are regularly tested to ensure they are not using performance-enhancing drugs, transgender women are not necessarily compliant with testosterone suppression therapy. There's no need.
Therefore, when men compete with women, even those who appear to have transitioned, men will almost certainly have an advantage. According to Al Salem,
With the replacement of women's sports categories with mixed categories, an increasing number of female athletes are missing out on medal opportunities when competing against men. According to information available, by March 30, 2024, more than 600 female athletes in more than 400 sports have lost more than 890 medals in 29 different sports.
“To avoid the loss of a fair opportunity, men should not compete in the women's category of sports,” she declares.
language in the locker room
Injuries and missed opportunities aren't the only negative effects of forcing men to compete with women. Allowing men into women's locker rooms also creates opportunities for violence of a sexual nature, but “sex offenders tend to be men, and persistent sex offenders are more likely to abuse those they wish to abuse.” This is especially alarming given that “every effort will be made to gain access.” Arsalem writes. She received reports that female athletes were experiencing “forced dissemination of non-consensual sexual images offline and online and exhibitionism as a result of failure to maintain separate locker rooms.” . These concerns, combined with the fear of losing to male competitors or getting injured, cause many female athletes to experience “extreme psychological distress.”
And woe to women who complain about this situation! Arsalem report:
Concerns about safety, privacy, and fairness force female athletes and coaches who oppose the inclusion of men into their spaces into silence or self-censorship. If you don't, you risk losing athletic opportunities, scholarships, and sponsorships. Many have also been accused of bias, suspended from sports teams, and subject to restraining orders, expulsion, defamation, and unfair disciplinary proceedings. Some women have quit the sport due to pressure, intimidation (including death threats) and verbal abuse. When women come together around these issues, they face attacks.
She further stated that female athletes are “rarely consulted by sports associations on guidelines regarding whether sports should remain separate for men and women” and “face negative repercussions when reclaiming rights to single-sex sports.” “I am doing it,” he points out.
Al-Salem recommends two major changes to rectify the situation. First, “the women's category in organized sports should only be open to those whose biological sex is female,” and athletes should be regularly tested for both drugs and testosterone. Second, give transgender athletes the opportunity to compete in the open category, or convert the men's category to an open category.
I woke up but welcome
This is a United Nations report, so it's understandably less enlightened than its recommendations regarding transgender athletes. For example, al-Salem is known for its “toxic masculinity,” the “colonial and exploitative structures embedded in sexism and racism” of international sports organizations, and the “historical and multigenerational trauma” Contains many complaints about the lack of opportunities for women. Coupled with economic and social exclusion. ”
She also complains about situations for which there are very reasonable explanations. “Women are paid significantly less than men in sports, which perpetuates harmful stereotypes,” she wrote, adding, “Female athletes also receive less income through advertising and ticket sales. It is also pointed out that Of course, it's not just that they are perceived as having low profits. They actually earn less, so they receive a lower salary. Similarly, Al Salem's complaint that “pregnancy and childbirth among athletes turns out to increase occupational uncertainty” is a simple reality recognition that further explains why women tend to earn less than men. be. Employers want reliable employees to come to work every day. And every year to avoid unexpected interruptions in their careers.
Despite these eye-opening digressions, Al Salem's report is a welcome addition to the growing list of calls to ban men from women's sports. If even the United Nations supports that sentiment, how can the left oppose it?
