Trans Athletes: The Current Knowledge

"A groundbreaking study that was sponsored by the International Olympic Committee and released late last week sought to compare a range of athletic abilities between trans athletes and their cisgender counterparts. The finding that trans women athletes are at a relative disadvantage in many key physical areas relating to athletic ability and perform worse on cardiovascular tests than their cisgender counterparts could be the first step in fighting back against the conventional wisdom conservatives have spread that trans women’s participation is inherently unfair."

Click on the link below for the details that fly in the face of ignorance, dogma, and bigotry:

This study on trans women's athletic disadvantages ought to change the debate

Transphobia: An Evil From Conservatives

"We break down some of the pseudoscience the trans panic is built on, look at the political drive to erase trans people, understand how the language of panic shifts over time, and present an alternate view of societal healing for a healthier humanity."

Click on the link below for a podcast exposing the willful cruelty of today's Republicans/conservatives:

Debunking Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria, Groomers, and Detransitioning Misconceptions

Puberty Blockers: Beware Of The Media

Right-wing media is awash with bogus "evidence" of the harm from puberty blockers. This link is a prime offender in promoting the bullsh!t, but don't let its name let you think it is valid. Here is the truth about this website (link)(link). 

Below you will find several links to VALID SUPPORT for puberty blockers:

What to know about puberty blockers

Puberty blockers for transgender and gender-diverse youth

Are Puberty Blockers Reversible?

Transgender Treatment Satisfaction

While the Republican Party and conservatives, in general, are supporting bills in many states attacking transgender treatment (link), the largest satisfaction survey of individuals who have received transgender treatment was just released. The bottom line is that they are overwhelmingly satisfied with the results of their treatment. Click on this link for a 3-minute video presenting the details. Just another example of anti-expert/anti-science from the Republican Party.

Sex/Gender: The Science, Not The Pseudoscience

 "As with most things in science, the concept of boy versus girl is more complicated than it appears at first glance. It’s not a simple dichotomy. We, humans, like to classify everything into neat pigeonholes, but Nature’s inventiveness outsmarts us at every step.":

Many factors combine to determine sex and gender, and not one of them is simply black and white.

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"Antiscientific sentiment bombards our politics, or so says the Intellectual Dark Web (IDW). Chief among these antiscientific sentiments, the IDW cites the rising visibility of transgender civil rights demands. To the IDW, trans people and their advocates are destroying the pillars of our society with such free-speech–suppressing, postmodern concepts as: “trans women are women,” “gender-neutral pronouns,” or “there are more than two genders.” Asserting “basic biology” will not be ignored, the IDW proclaims. “Facts don’t care about your feelings.”

"The irony in all this is that these “protectors of enlightenment” are guilty of the very behavior this phrase derides. Though often dismissed as just a fringe internet movement, they espouse unscientific claims that have infected our politics and culture. Especially alarming is that these “intellectual” assertions are used by nonscientists to claim a scientific basis for the dehumanization of trans people. The real-world consequences are stacking up: the trans military ban, bathroom bills, removal of workplace and medical discrimination protections, a 41-51 percent suicide attempt rate, and targeted fatal violence. It’s not just internet trolling anymore.

"Contrary to popular belief, scientific research helps us better understand the unique and real transgender experience. Specifically, through three subjects: (1) genetics, (2) neurobiology, and (3) endocrinology. So, hold onto your parts, whatever they may be. It’s time for 'the talk'":

Stop Using Phony Science to Justify Transphobia

Sex/Gender 101

"Antiscientific sentiment bombards our politics, or so says the Intellectual Dark Web (IDW). Chief among these antiscientific sentiments, the IDW cites the rising visibility of transgender civil rights demands. To the IDW, trans people and their advocates are destroying the pillars of our society with such free-speech–suppressing, postmodern concepts as: “trans women are women,” “gender-neutral pronouns,” or 'there are more than two genders.' Asserting 'basic biology' will not be ignored, the IDW proclaims. 'Facts don’t care about your feelings.'

"The irony in all this is that these 'protectors of enlightenment' are guilty of the very behavior this phrase derides. Though often dismissed as just a fringe internet movement, they espouse unscientific claims that have infected our politics and culture. Especially alarming is that these 'intellectual” assertions are used by nonscientists to claim a scientific basis for the dehumanization of trans people. The real-world consequences are stacking up: the trans military ban, bathroom bills, and removal of workplace and medical discrimination protections, a 41-51 percent suicide attempt rate and targeted fatal violence. It’s not just internet trolling anymore."

Click on the link below for more. You magical/anti-science thinkers, there is no longer an excuse for your willfull ignorance: 

Actual research shows that sex is anything but binary

Elon Musk also needs to get the message. What is it with him and Trump, fellow graduates of UPenn such as I am (guess money talks)? Neither have an excuse also:

Elon Musk’s promise to treat ‘cis’ as a slur will provoke more extremism

Research Update: Transgender Teen Transitioning

I have posted many times on the subject of non-binary sex and gender. Sabine Hossenfeder is a well-known physicist and educator in such. She is also famous for her YouTube series called, "Science, without the gobbledygook." Click on the link below for her heavily-researched opinion on gender-affirming healthcare, which I think clarifies what we now know in this important area of healthcare:

Is being trans a social fad among teenagers? 

Transgendered Athletes: The Nuances

"1. There are many existential threats to the trans community in the United States right now. The question of whether trans women should be able to participate in elite women’s sports is not one of them.

"2. It is possible to be in favor of trans rights and against trans participation in sports.

"3. The central question has been: 'Should transgender women be allowed to compete alongside cisgender women?' That’s the wrong question."

Click on the link below for a well-informed, thoughtful opinion regarding transgendered athletes:

Lia Thomas, Trans Rights, and the Future of Elite Sports: 3 Takeaways From My MIT Panel

What Is Gender?

The terms sex and gender are often used as one phrase in a sentence. However, they are different and both are not binary. Click on the link below for a clear and concise presentation on the definition of gender in the form of a rebuttal to a PragerU video:

Fear Mongering About Trans People

Shedding More Light Than Heat On Trans Women In Sports

The link below is to a 20-minute trialogue on the YouTube channel The Line that was a respective, concise, and thorough interaction on this emotionally-charged topic:

How Are Trans Women in Sports Fair?

How To Confirm Your Bias In Research

"Recently, a study by Lisa Littman has been making the rounds among the anti-woke. You may remember Littman mentioned in the amazing 2 part series debunking The End of Gender. She is the inventor of the transphobic bull shit concept "rapid onset gender dysphoria" which is science words for "kids these days." In this two part series, Dr. Lindsey Osterman breaks down both of her bogus studies and why they are terrible science thingies."

There are many ways to pervert scientific research in an attempt to confirm your biases. Click on the links below for an example of how it's done and how to call bogus on it:

Lisa Littman's Bogus Trans Studies, Part 1 

Lisa Littman’s Latest Trans Study is Garbage

Religion: A Harmful Result Of Such

 "What is gender-affirming health care? Around the country, there’s a Republican campaign to legislate and regulate the lives of trans youth. The most destructive of these efforts would bar trans youth in certain states from accessing gender-affirming treatment. Dr. Izzy Lowell runs Queer Med, a private clinic that specializes in providing accessible health care to trans patients ranging from kids to adults. Her practice covers 10 states across the South – and half of those have anti-trans health care bills on the docket. If they pass, it would become criminal for her to provide this care to many of her patients. Dr. Lowell joins this week to break down what exactly we mean when we talk about gender-affirming care, how the decision is made for kids and teens ready to transition, and the potentially devastating impact this legislation would have on their lives."

Click on the link below to understand how unsupported dogma causes harm.

Gender-Affirming Health Care: The Obstacles 

Transgender And Sports: More Heat Than Light

The dogmatic and ignorant Republicans are pushing through state legislatures bills banning not only medical treatment for transgendered people but also their participation in sports. Click on the link for an excellent response to a caller to an atheist YouTube program on the latter subject.

Caller Believes It Would Be Unfair To Allow Trans Women In Sports

The harm to sex/gender non-binary folks and to society is from putting unsupported religious dogma over the consensus of science.

Transgenderism: A Target For The Political Right

In recent months, political conservatives have increased their attack against acceptance of the science supporting sex/gender as a spectrum, and are focusing on transgenderism. Two examples are these recent books:

• The End of Gender: Debunking the Myths about Sex and Identity in Our Society

• Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters

Following are links debunking these two books:

• SIO284: Debunking "The End of Gender" Part 1

• SIO285: Debunking "The End of Gender" Part 2

• A Review of "Irreversible Damage" by Abigail Shrier

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This podcast also adds to the understanding of the issue.

Transgender And Sports: The Controversy

Anyone who had a firm opinion regarding the issues involving transgender athletes is not aware of the murkiness of the science in this area (link). There is much cherry-picking of data to support opinions. For example, a biological male who reaches puberty and transitions to a female and takes substances to reduce testosterone down to ANY level still has biological markers for maleness that can affect athletic performance. The link below is one of the better presentations of the science in this area:

Trans-Women in Sport: Reviewing the Science

1/13/20201: UPDATE

Transwomen retain athletic edge after a year of hormone therapy