Trans people & sports

[The Grand Nudger]

But you keep mentioning these conclusive studies. I was hoping you had them.

Not quite. While one did say it was justifiable to have M-F compete with F, there is much more than just the summary. There is evidence that M-F retain some of the advantageous muscle mass when compared to not-transitioned F-M (which is an element that I think limits the study), but that the overlap between males and females is already large, so fuck it, essentially. So, what they're basically saying, to my mind, is that, yes, the most elite M-F are going to have more muscle mass than the most elite F, but we think the muscle mass overlap renders any limits we make arbitrary, so go for it.

It looked like they were saying there is a residual increased muscle mass, but they're not really sure if it's enough to worry about. However, they did also say it seems justified that F compete with M-F, so they definitely support your side, but yield that it's not cut and dry. If you wanted a more tightly specified overlap in muscle mass, it would become unjustifiable, as they said.

My reason is that I feel like it can make for a hearty debate. That seems a plenty good enough reason, this being a discussion forum and not a real-life decision-making panel. I'm debating for the sake of debate. There can be no other reason. If people are really here trying to make a difference, I feel bad for them, honestly. This isn't the place for it.

IKR?  This is dickjokes and snappy argument space!

I really don't have much to add.  Either the inability to quantify a trans advantage, not a trans difference..a trans advantage....is sufficient the first go round, or it never will be.  If the IOC made it's determinations based primarily upon tight muscle mass overlaps as a metric...I suspect that a great many men would be competing with women ( I know I'd be, lol...) and vv.  They don't...but maybe they should.  
/ shrugs.