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[–]catoborosnonbinary 6 insightful - 4 fun6 insightful - 3 fun7 insightful - 4 fun -  (3 children)

Handicapping based on age/height/weight/past-performance is one way to include trans people in competitive sport. Masters games already has classes. Current testosterone levels are only one part of a much broader picture.

[–]MarkTwainiac 11 insightful - 1 fun11 insightful - 0 fun12 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

But in which sex category would you include them?

Even with such handicapping, there's no way to justify putting males into female sports. Males & females of the same height, weight & age will in no way be on an equal level in contests of physical skill, strength & speed. There are thousands of differences between male & female bodies. For example, from birth, there are notable differences in male & female lung cells, & lung function. During the puberty of adolescence, males hearts - which from infancy will already be 8% larger & stronger - become on average 33% larger & more powerful than female hearts even when height, weight & age are the same.

These differences don't mean that female are inferior to males. They just go to show that each sex has evolved to have different features because of the different reproductive roles each one plays. Many female internal organs are not only smaller than male organs, they have the ability to move out of the way in order to accommodate a growing uterus containing a fetus. Similarly, female kidneys function differently to male kidneys because female kidneys have evolved to handle & cleanse the much larger amount of bodily fluid that pregnancy entails.

Male people who "identify as" the opposite sex have always been able to compete/participate in sports with other males. Male athletes are the ones who need to budge up & be accepting & "inclusive" of athletes who of their sex yet "identify as" the opposite sex.

As for female people who "identify as" the opposite sex - if they aren't taking T, then they belong in female sports. If they are on T, then sports authorities would be justified in excluding them for violating doping rules, though arguments can be made for "including" them in the male/open category.

[–]catoborosnonbinary 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Sport is a primarily a social activity. Handicapping based on past performance seems like a practical way that trans women can be included in competitive women's sport. If trans women are competing against cis women with the same level of ability, how is that unfair?

[–]BiologyIsReal[S] 5 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 0 fun6 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I don't think everyone view as mainly a social activity. Proffessional athletes surely would disagre, for example. But anyway, how could you prove what level of handicap is too little or too much? It seems it'd be quite difficult to come to an agreement that will satisfy all parties. There is no lack of trans males who protest the request to lower their levels of testosterone. So, why would they agree to even more handicaps?