Grateful to All Who Defend Women's Sports

This list is long and growing, and there's a simple reason why.

Thursday, January 11th, 2024

I like to approach issues from unusual or rare perspectives. I don’t claim to be the first person to think something, but we live in a world awash in coordinated corporate media manipulation. That means, if we’re remotely paying attention, we will know two things: (1) the narrative or preferred opinion promoted by those using power, and (2) the arguments they want us mired in. For example, about two years ago it was “bathrooms,” then it became (much to our collective shock) “locker rooms,” and now people the world over are simply baffled by “Drag Queen Story Hour.”

In truth, these are handpicked topics spoon fed to us from a silver platter, and that’s warning enough. Look deeper. Think wider. Consider more broadly. Ignore the low hanging fruit. Be wise enough to not be led by the nose.

Yes, yes. These are important issues. But, that’s the danger sign. A topic is only useful as a distraction if it has enough legitimacy to make us feel like maybe, just maybe, we are spending our time well when we debate them. Again and again. With people on social media. Earning zero value from our time spend.

“Chosen Conversation Topics” have the effect of “limiting our thoughts” and directing our energy into “social issue black holes” which render us more impotent than we already are, because we’re spinning in place rather than organizing effectively.

Before I share my short and to the point thought for the day, I’m super grateful to two (2) women this morning. This woman posted on Twitter about how she has organized her advocacy efforts to be frequently effective, peaceful, and clear (she wears this T-shirt when she goes to the gym).

And, April Hutchinson who is celebrating a January 3rd win, as an independent adjudicator determined the CPU’s (Canadian Powerlifting Union) discipline committee exhibited bias against Hutchinson, saying: “the CPU broke its own rules and tried to make an example of the athlete with a harsh penalty.” April’s suspension from the sport has been reduced to one year by the appeal adjudicator. To which she responded:

I am so very, very grateful to April, and many others who are stepping up, speaking up, and “risking up” as they do the hard thing and advocate for Women’s Sports. And, let’s be clear. This is not new.

It’s why Title IX was necessary. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 protects people from discrimination based on sex in all education programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance.

However, it is perhaps best known for mandating gender equality in college sports. Notice the emphasis on biological status. FEMALE athletes. In almost every category it is either illogical, hopeless or downright dangerous for females to compete against males. Thousands of male swimmers rank above the world’s best female swimmer. Serena and Venus Williams openly acknowledge the pure, inescapable fact that Men’s Tennis is a different game than Women’s Tennis, and they could never effectively compete. Pitting males against females is an unfairness that cannot be rectified by any social argument about gender identity. It’s like asking the world’s fastest house cat to race against the world’s slowest Cheetah — the Cheetah still wins. Every time.

I was born in 1972. I grew up playing sports. Swimming. Soccer. Tennis. And it’s all because of Title IX. What does this tell us?

It tells us that sometimes the private sports world gets it WRONG. And, we need to step up, organize effectively, and use our government system to FORCE the sports world to do better. To be fair. To value women’s sports & the glory of female accomplishment.

Title IX was necessary because the sports world couldn’t do it on their own. Now, we have the sports world failing women again. This is not a surprise. It’s what the sports world does.

And so, it is necessary for society, and for biological females/biological women (and their allies) to step up and say — with power, action and advocacy — you are getting it wrong. Again. And then? We force the sports world to do the right thing.

The sooner we accept this, the sooner we can get on with the business of fixing this crazy problem — so as few girls and women as possible will be harmed.