Posted by Tina
When I read the headline my first thought was, “Will this person’s physic resemble that of a well trained female or a well trained male?” After clicking on the link my concerns were validated (see image below). Laurel Hubbard looks more like a male weight lifter. The story is re-posted from the New Zealand Herald at Gateway Pundit:
Kiwi weightlifter Laurel Hubbard has dominated her first major competition, taking out the Australian International in Melbourne on a night she made history as the first transgender athlete to represent New Zealand.
Hubbard, 39, won the women’s over 90kg division at the Melbourne event, setting four unofficial national records in the process. Hubbard lifted a combined total of 268kg – 19kg better than silver medallist Iuniarra Sipaia of Samoa.
Australia’s Kaitlyn Fassina claimed the bronze medal with 223kg.
Hubbard looked visibly emotional as she lined up behind dais awaiting the official medal presentation. But she kept the tears at bay, smiling and waving as she stood atop the podium.
Earlier this month the Herald revealed Hubbard had been selected to make her international debut at the competition after usurping Rio Olympian Tracey Lambrechs at the top of the division.
She set four records and beat her nearest competitor by 19kg (41.8 lbs), establishing a high bar for future competitors.
To be fair, I’ve seen small women lift a lot of weight; looks don’t always translate to ability. But the disparity here seems to belie that possibility.
This situation will become more complicated and contentious as time goes on. Female athletes have fought long and hard for equal recognition in the sports world. I can’t help wondering how much trangendered athletes will impact female athletics and competitions. I see the lines being blurred to the detriment of females.
Okay, people, where do we go from here? What is the future for women’s international sports?
This is a tough one. Where do we draw the lines of gender? Does Hubbard have as much testosterone now as she did before she fully transitioned? What about muscle mass? She looks more large than toned to me. Could she compete in the male division? Would she be able to lift as much the average male weightlifter? Would she be safe doing so?
We used to draw the line at birth sex, but given new discoveries about brain differences between males and females, and that trans people often tend to have brains that line up better with their gender identity than their birth sex, this no longer seems feasible. I can understand why some might feel aggrieved and confused by these changes, though I do wonder how much is coming from her fellow athletes and how much is coming from outside.
These are important questions. I always default to respect for difference, but this does raise questions about fairness and advantages.
The Olympics have a long history of cheating based on hormonal injections. How does this play into their rules?
Female Athletes With ‘Too Much’ Testosterone Forced to Undergo Genital Surgery and Hormone Therapy
Another good article here, “Olympics struggle with ‘policing femininity.’”
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