Wrestelers and testosterone..

[flenser]

Couldn't decide what forum this belongs in, but curious what everyone thinks about it.

After the match, Clay followed suit with the other wrestlers who have been pitted against Beggs, a female transitioning to a male more than a year into testosterone treatment...

Beggs is now 55-0 on the season.​

Trinity’s transgender wrestler wins with pin, advances to championship

By Jeff Caplan

CYPRESS
Mack Beggs' first pin of the Class 6A state girls wrestling championship came in Saturday morning's semifinal match, launching the transgender grappler from Euless Trinity High School into the championship match in the 110-pound weight class.

That match is expected to start around 5 p.m.

Beggs, who dismantled two opponents on Friday’s opening day, winning both by major decisions, picked up his third consecutive state-tournament victory with a pin of familiar rival Kailyn Clay of Grand Prairie. Beggs also defeated Clay in last week's regional tournament before Clay also advanced to state.

After the match, Clay followed suit with the other wrestlers who have been pitted against Beggs, a female transitioning to a male more than a year into testosterone treatment, and declined to speak with reporters and was quick to exit the competition area at the Berry Center in the Cypress-Fairbanks school district.

Beggs is now 55-0 on the season.

Other than more television cameras and reporters hanging around Beggs' matches, the state tournament has been mostly routine despite the controversy swirling around Beggs' gender and the UIL rule that forces him to wrestle as a girl and against girls.

Fans mostly cheered after Beggs' victories, but there were some outliers.

One woman during Friday's action could be heard after Beggs’ victory over Mya Engert yelling at the Tascosa wrestler, “At least you got out there.”

 

[Perrin Aybara]

I was wondering when this kind of thing was going to spill over into contact or combat sports. Seems unfair to me to let either someone that started as male or apparently a female to male transition compete against natural females in sports. I don't know, I don't have a dog in this fight, so whatever, let them have at it. Hope they don't whine about it when women's sports are dominated by transgender athletes because that's what's going to happen. Can't blame them for taking advantage of it either.

 

[Eman]

This article misses an important aspect of this situation. That is, the state's policy is that wrestlers must compete against the gender that is listed on their birth certificate. He's not deliberately taking advantage of the situation and, in fact, has stated he'd prefer to compete against male athletes.

So, this individual is actually being forced to wrestle against females even though she is transitioning to a he. The alternative being to give up a sport he clearly is passionate about.

He's between a rock and a hard place, IMO. People, mostly close minded individuals, can go on there rants about how transgender individuals need help or are ridiculous and need to accept they're born a male or female but the fact of the matter is the laws need to start making way for them because the issue isn't going away... As much as conservatives are praying it will.

 

[rugerjitsu]

Any idea what kind of dosages a person like this is scribed??

 

[flenser]

This article misses an important aspect of this situation. That is, the state's policy is that wrestlers must compete against the gender that is listed on their birth certificate. He's not deliberately taking advantage of the situation and, in fact, has stated he'd prefer to compete against male athletes.

So, this individual is actually being forced to wrestle against females even though she is transitioning to a he. The alternative being to give up a sport he clearly is passionate about.

He's between a rock and a hard place, IMO. People, mostly close minded individuals, can go on there rants about how transgender individuals need help or are ridiculous and need to accept they're born a male or female but the fact of the matter is the laws need to start making way for them because the issue isn't going away... As much as conservatives are praying it will.

The article does mention the UIL rule near the end.

What government bureaucracy should get blamed for the problem wasn't exactly what I was looking for. It's pretty much a given that more government involvement will make things worse for all involved.

So you think he should be competing against males? What about females transitioning from male. Should they compete against females?

What about their non-transitioning competitors who are at least as passionate about their sport as their drug using counterparts?

 

[Eman]

The article does mention the UIL rule near the end.

You're right, I overlooked it! It bears repeating regardless though...

So you think he should be competing against males?

I would say so. It's what he wants to happen and it's probably what the 56 females he defeated would like to happen too.

What about females transitioning from male. Should they compete against females?

That's a good question and it's more difficult to answer definitively I think... I'm not really familiar with what hormone therapy is like for trans people. It makes sense that a female transitioning to a male and receiving testosterone injections wouldn't be a good fit for competing against females. But a male to female situation, I don't know where the cut off should be?

What about their non-transitioning competitors who are at least as passionate about their sport as their drug using counterparts?

Allowing a transitioned male or female to compete with the gender to which they are transitioning would be best for both sides, IMO.

But, if you're suggesting they are at an advantage on either side of the fence I'd disagree. I wouldn't feel that a guy on TRT is at an advantage to me, neither should they because that's basically all it is.

 

[flenser]

But, if you're suggesting they are at an advantage on either side of the fence I'd disagree.

I was pointing out that non-transitioning competitors are held to a rather extreme anti-drug standard. Pretending doctors can determine the exact hormone dosage to allow someone to compete as a natural in that environment seems hypocritical to me. I would imagine many non-transitioning competitors will feel the same.

 

[Perrin Aybara]

You're right, I overlooked it! It bears repeating regardless though...



I would say so. It's what he wants to happen and it's probably what the 56 females he defeated would like to happen too.



That's a good question and it's more difficult to answer definitively I think... I'm not really familiar with what hormone therapy is like for trans people. It makes sense that a female transitioning to a male and receiving testosterone injections wouldn't be a good fit for competing against females. But a male to female situation, I don't know where the cut off should be?



Allowing a transitioned male or female to compete with the gender to which they are transitioning would be best for both sides, IMO.

But, if you're suggesting they are at an advantage on either side of the fence I'd disagree. I wouldn't feel that a guy on TRT is at an advantage to me, neither should they because that's basically all it is.

Like I said I don't have a dog in this fight, but I'm under the impression that someone who went through puberty as a male would have a great advantage over someone who didn't in athletics. Even if they'd completely become female. Something to do with the effects of testosterone on aggression and reflexes.

I'm all for people doing whatever the hell they want to do if it doesn't hurt anyone else. I'm not sure what the correct answer here is or if there even is one.

 

[Eman]

I was pointing out that non-transitioning competitors are held to a rather extreme anti-drug standard. Pretending doctors can determine the exact hormone dosage to allow someone to compete as a natural in that environment seems hypocritical to me. I would imagine many non-transitioning competitors will feel the same.

I understand what you mean... But personally I wouldn't be concerned with it.

Would you feel at a disadvantage if you were competing against someone on TRT?

 

[flenser]

I understand what you mean... But personally I wouldn't be concerned with it.

Would you feel at a disadvantage if you were competing against someone on TRT?

I don't think that's a question I could answer hypothetically, but I'll give it a shot.

If he consistently kicked my ass, maybe. If he belonged to a TRT club, and all of them consistently kicked my ass, very likely. And if I were banned from doing the exact same thing, absolutely.

 

[Eman]

I don't think that's a question I could answer hypothetically, but I'll give it a shot.

If he consistently kicked my ass, maybe. If he belonged to a TRT club, and all of them consistently kicked my ass, very likely. And if I were banned from doing the exact same thing, absolutely.

You could be the next chairman of WADA.