The comic overstates it. coverage I’ve seen (from Erin Reed, linked below) suggests that her opponent was only “reported to be” trans. Seems like she was looking for an opportunity to put her transphobia on display. God tested her, she failed.
Always is. The trans cyclist that Mango Mussolini was all outraged about? Big nothing burger. Cis Men and Cis Women compete directly against each other in this event. It's not segregated by gender. Men have broken the record. Women have broken the record.
It's on the list of things I would do if I had fuck off amounts of money. Right above arranging for 30k in 1 cent coins to be dumped on the driveway of my emotional support himbo's extended family. (I think it's better to get all the sensible stuff done before the petty stuff)
I watched the Last Week Tonight episode about this. What struck me the most is that the cis girls who complained or filed suits ended up getting money, or scholarships, or some kind of right-wing speaking gig.
The trans girls got nothing except the extra hate that the complaints fueled.
Iirc there was something I saw that people were having a fit because two trans women were the finalists in a woman's pool tournament. My response was "why is pool gender separated????"
This sort of transphobia is based on the idea that all men are better at everything than any woman, so trans women who "are really men" always have an unfair advantage. Yea, it's as dumb as it sounds.
Her actions “prove” nothing except that she’s a hypocrite.
Fairness in sports is paramount. If the sport of fencing approves of coed competition, then so be it. So does rec volleyball, mixed tennis and many other sports.
You’d be wise to quit wasting time on a losing issue.
Never underestimate a transphobe's ability to pretend her sex is inferior. They'll insist that it's a good thing that even in Chess men are at an advantage, like somehow having a penis makes you smarter.
I was confused when I first heard the story. I used to fence when I was younger and every competition and class I took was co-ed, split by skill level only. I had a feeling something was wonky right from the start.
@protonjon.bsky.social would have fenced this woman. And since he's a beginner, probably would have lost. Jon knows the real reason I'm saying this though.
The amount of research I had to do for this strip...
Elite level is gender segregated. Competitions are typically "women's only" or "open". Beginner, practice and several collegial competition is co-ed. Also depends on country and head orgs.
Did you find a reason elite levels were segregated? I can't see strength differentials mattering for fencing, but I guess maybe arm length/height could matter.
Height/arm length matters a ton in fencing, which is the likely reason for seperation. However, physical advantages can only get you so far in such a technique-based sport, which is likely why it only starts truly mattering in elite levels.
Sometimes it's not about physical differences. It's also to create a safer and more welcoming environment for female competitors. Even chess has female only competitions, because men can get creepy or verbally abusive.
WTF? In a sport that requires the equivalent of a HAZMAT suit, where she fences against men ... she's afraid of trans cooties? "she routinely vets her opponents ahead of competitions to try to make sure none of them are transgender."
As someone who used to fence this made me so unbelievably angry, that isn’t what the sport is about it’s about stabbing each other on a strip and still shaking hands afterwards, I’m glad she got disqualified there was nothing courageous about it.
Its hard really really hard not to think this was a setup for her 5 minutes of fame and pay day. I would almost bet this group that paid her made a pre arranged deal with her. Just for the press coverage.
SO … she was rewarded for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Even though she had competed against a man … and which is common at this level of play … and WON the previous week …
THIS week, she wouldn’t play a man.
Yeah, okay. Sounds consistent.
No, she wouldn't play a trans woman, and not because she erroneously thought of the trans woman as a "man" who had an unfair advantage over her, but just because she hates trans women.
Presumably she hates trans men as well - would she forfeit to one?
I've said it once, and I'll say it 1000 times: as an athlete, you will eventually come across an competitor for which you have no answers. None. They will dominate you in every facet of the sport and you will lose. Maybe you go back and work on things, double your efforts, eat better. 1/
...and push to improve, but in reality, you may just be overmatched, regardless of what you do. Tony Gwynn, Serena, Catilin Clark, McDavid, Messi... humble(d) elite opponents every day. It happens. Get over it. 2/2
This story utterly disgusted me. Not only because of the blatant transphobia, but how those who are transphobic don't put any efforts into their arguments. This was all a grift. The athlete who conceded knew it'd get her stink, and she could launch some online career from it.
Anti trans people need to be outted they target such a small minority over usually conspiracy level shit and a lack of human biology education on secondary sexual characteristics.
I'm unsure on the value of "outing" in a case like this, where name recognition likely only helps her: most people she meets probably consider her in the right. It's not something I'd feel like fighting about though, there's validity to both arguments.
she cannot reasonably demand the dignity and inclusion that comes with social, professional, or competitive participation. Her choice to dehumanize others must come with social consequences.
they’re not making a statement about fairness or sportsmanship—they’re making a statement that a trans person’s identity invalidates their right to even exist in that space. That’s not about “protecting women’s sports” or anything nuance it’s about exclusion and dehumanization.
She should be disqualified from future matches, as her refusal disrupts competition and sends a toxic message to other athletes.
Her influence and popularity in women's sports should be actively dismantled, because she uses her platform not to empower, but to exclude.
Like clockwork
headline: "Trans athlete steals victory from woman??!!??"
article: "Sally, who placed 15th, is accusing trans athlete Laura, who placed 8th, of unfair advantage."
All it is is a money glitch. There’s no real moral or logical grounding to this kind of behavior, it’s exclusively an easy way to cash in. Riley Gaines has already demonstrated that.
Plot twist, one athlete was from an entitled background and the other was from a lower social class. Gender identity is a red herring to preserve elitism. Plebs shouldn’t be there.
I’m not a big fan of competitive sports for reasons like this.
So I know this is an unpopular liberal opinion and I’ll get shouted down for voicing it, but as a former athlete I don’t think trans women should compete in women’s sports. They clearly have a physical advantage. There should be a separate division for trans athletes.
its not a liberal opinion at all, its a conservative one. its a transphobic one. trans women do not have any advantage in sports. you've been sold, and bought into, a lie.
In a coed sports? In darts? In chess? Seriously, half of these scandals I've heard about aren't even about the trans woman's physical abilities. It's entirely for the hate. That's all without even mentioning the overwhelming evidence that suggests trans women's "advantages" are negligible at best.
In equestrian competition, all compete equally. Mares, geldings, Stallions, men, women… you compete in teams, with all genders too. Isn’t that how it’s supposed to be? The best in the sport win. And we celebrate all who compete fairly. Regardless of their gender.
Right. I am cis, but we are in a big tent, where all the family can be together. When I say all the family, I mean DNA proves humanity is a single family. Race & other classes, those actions are phobias, nothing to do with morality, but with poor mental health, indoctrination & prejudice.
i’m a fencer and even as a beginner at 12-13 years old, i was fencing middle aged men at least a foot taller than me. the disrespect is insane, real fencers know it’s about skill. everyones the same to me under the mask
Always the cishet conservative people who've never had to struggle to be accepted for their identity, who believe they have the right to dictate the identity of others.
I think the only time trans matters in sports is certain ones if they aren’t mixed gender - I may get flames for this but Trans athletes may need their own competitions, not because of who they are but because of science - Trans m/f would still scientifically have a body different than others.
and I mean only allow people who have been Trans for a long enough time to compete in non-mixed ones for my reasoning - I am not a Transphobe I support LGBTQA and am Bisexual and questioning Transitioning myself.
was this like...jokingly? I hope so, I just mean if you have just transitioned in some cases, there is a scientific difference and potential advantage if you're competing against the same gender, otherwise it's the other player's faults. again I support LGTBQ and am Bisexual-questioning Trans
Uh...ooookay...? Maybe I don't maybe I do? But good representation of the community there at least, still gonna love the community at least, thanks for the sentiment though.
Did you illustrate the panels? If so; your new job is to 4-panel every bogus White Supremacist Excuse For Hate. Brilliant!
I will share the crap out of it.
The trans panic around sports has never been about "fairness and equality." They never complain about the fact women and men still have to compete against opponents bigger or stronger than them, regardless. Why not use a system that doesn't rely on something as inadequate as the gender binary?
not just fencing, boxing and tennis and such, too.
the reason is laughably simple: the majority of people are right-handed, which also means the majority of trainers, instructors and opponents. practicing sports against many different people makes you learn to predict their movements.
which ironically enough works against you when those movements become unpredictable: as in, having a "stab" from your right when you're used to being "stabbed" from your left.
i'm a leftie, skinny, weak, and i used to get in a lot of fights at school due to bullying. you have no idea just how often this little "advantage" saved my butt and made my bullies stay tf away from me because they mistook it for "hidden strength".
so, yeah, by the logic of "we can always tell" crowd who are very interested in everyone's genitals, left-handed people should also be banned from sports due to "unfair biological advantage". i mean, it hasn't been too long since lefties were considered posessed by demons or something, after all.
From what I know, for fencing, left-handed fencers do hold a slight advantage due to rarity of southpaws. So the ability to practice & build defense based on lefty’s movements - becomes less predictable than for right-handed opponents. But they’re not typically any stronger/faster.
This is true!! I fought sabre for years - just a different style, different blade. I was the only woman who fences sabre in my club so all my opponents were men. The only one who regularly beat me was a leftie. Left-handers have plenty of practice fighting righties, but not the other way round.
if it's a co-ed sport then wtf was the problem!? Fencing is about skill and finesse, something in which neither gender has an advantage in. And if you're already competing against cis-gendered competitors I fail to see the issue.
not to mention that transphobia doesn't just hurt trans people.
That whole debacle at the olympics with that women's boxing champion who so many people just thought was trans because she looked a little too manly I guess.
It was all BS but she was harassed constantly over nothing
well yes obviously, I'm just pointing out for transphobes that think that they're "defending normal people" or whatever that they're often doing more harm than good in that regard.
People love to argue they're "Protecting women" before ruining a woman's life because she looks too 'manish'
and even if you're not a transphobe, I've found this line of reasoning to actually be a far better way of arguing with them. They already don't care about trans people, but pointing out that their actions harm cis people too usually causes them to do a double take as their braincell starts wiggling
Terminally-online transvestigators have already accused kyle rittenhouse and andrew tate of being transgender men. Now I'm waiting on them to start targeting nancy mace and mtg.
Also it was extremely dangerous to spread that rumor that she was trans because she comes from a country that has severe anti-lgbtq laws and saying that she was trans when she wasn't could would have gotten her in serious trouble, if not outright killed.
People are fucking idiots, seriously it's already been proven that she was born biologically a girl, there are plenty of pictures of her with her family when she was a little girl, hell outside the ring there are pictures of her in beautiful dresses.
What this comic tells me is that principled morality be damed and that it’s more important that an individuals choice about one’s own sexuality overrides it
It's amazing how people can throw away their friends(cus apparently this transphobe had queer friends), humanity and future at a sport just so they try to get into the right wing grift sphere and get money.
She revealed she's literally been daydreaming about getting to do this in her interview with Fox. She wanted to have a trans opponent precisely so she could play martyr.
Also, gotta love the neverending hypocrisy of these fucks. Trans women in sports are just seeking an easy win but also bigots...
Fucking baffles me that I grew up on a fuckton of stories of cis women beating cis men in assorted sports and combat, but the minute a trans woman competes as a woman, it’s too much for these folks? Weak ass cowards. Fuck all these transphobes to the sun.
Yep, they are literally saying women suck worse than men at pretty much everything. They are just whining because they can't win at all, even if it was only against women. They are making excuses for just sucking at life.
I am throughly convinced that if you look at most anti-trans women, they tend to be dog ugly and think trans women are "stealing their men" the men who sleep with anything they can.
It's maddening how much traction anti-trans bigotry got in last year's campaign. (Among people who never gave a shit about women's sports and were previously only vaguely aware of the existence of trans people.)
Comments
Turner:
https://open.substack.com/pub/erininthemorn/p/it-was-gods-will-cash-prize-awarded?r=3l7m6l&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
The trans girls got nothing except the extra hate that the complaints fueled.
Fairness in sports is paramount. If the sport of fencing approves of coed competition, then so be it. So does rec volleyball, mixed tennis and many other sports.
You’d be wise to quit wasting time on a losing issue.
Small detail you omitted.
Elite level is gender segregated. Competitions are typically "women's only" or "open". Beginner, practice and several collegial competition is co-ed. Also depends on country and head orgs.
Source: Fenced for 4 years in college
And if you think there aren’t plenty of very tall women with very long arms at elite level, then you’ve probably not competed in an A-Grade.
That's true, but I was just thinking about averages between men and women.
Even though she had competed against a man … and which is common at this level of play … and WON the previous week …
THIS week, she wouldn’t play a man.
Yeah, okay. Sounds consistent.
Presumably she hates trans men as well - would she forfeit to one?
Or maybe she just wanted the $5K.
Its dystopian.
Her influence and popularity in women's sports should be actively dismantled, because she uses her platform not to empower, but to exclude.
headline: "Trans athlete steals victory from woman??!!??"
article: "Sally, who placed 15th, is accusing trans athlete Laura, who placed 8th, of unfair advantage."
I’m not a big fan of competitive sports for reasons like this.
I may be one hundred percent wrong though.
But for real, there’s a bigger difference in ability between handedness vs gender but no one is going after the former 🤔
That’s it. Let the hate fly.
damn, no shit?
Shut up, moron. You don't know shit about what you're talking about, never speak to trans people again.
I will share the crap out of it.
the reason is laughably simple: the majority of people are right-handed, which also means the majority of trainers, instructors and opponents. practicing sports against many different people makes you learn to predict their movements.
😁
This is complaining for the sake of complaining.
That whole debacle at the olympics with that women's boxing champion who so many people just thought was trans because she looked a little too manly I guess.
It was all BS but she was harassed constantly over nothing
People love to argue they're "Protecting women" before ruining a woman's life because she looks too 'manish'
You don’t even have to train or win.
Just lose.
Also, gotta love the neverending hypocrisy of these fucks. Trans women in sports are just seeking an easy win but also bigots...
I LOVED fencing the adult guys in my class when I was learning. As a 14 year old child. We were all the same skill level.
Cis girl just wanted to start some shit. I hate it.
getting awards from fascists for her bigotry