Gender and sex round-up

March 2022, part 2

Mar 31, 2022

London training for trainee psychiatrists cancelled because of concerns by trans rights activists

On March 16, an NHS1 training day for trainee psychotherapists, on how best to work with gender-questioning young people was planned. Speakers with a range of views were invited, some gender ideologists, some gender critical. In the run up to the event some trainees said that the participation of gender critical panelists meant that “there is no possible way in which this event can possibly be a ‘safe environment’ for LGBTQ+ and especially trans participants.” Journalist and editor, Helen Joyce, who has written the book Trans, when ideology meets reality, was one of those seen to threaten safety, as well as a speaker from Transgender trend, a parents’ support group, and Stella O’Malley, a psychotherapist who works with those affected by gender dysphoria. Hilary Cass, author of the Cass report, was also due to speak. The report, released just a few days before the scheduled event raised concerns about inadequate standards of care provided to gender dysphoric young people in the UK. After initially disinviting some panellists, eventually the event itself was cancelled.

Great Ormond Street cancels trainee doctor conference over trans ‘safety’ complaints, Ewan Somerville, The Telegraph, 19 March 2022.

Gender event off after trans activists attack “extreme” views, The Times, 26 March 2022.

US transgender woman wins national women’s swimming competition

On March 18, Lia Thomas, a transgender woman, won the United States NCAA Division 1, 500 metre freestyle women’s swimming championships. (For those like me who don’t know US athletics, NCAA is the intercollege athletics competition: National Collegiate Athletic Association). It’s a major deal. It’s the first time a transgender person has won an NCAA Division 1 event. Thomas complied with the existing rule around transgender participation in NCAA, that biological men must take a year of hormone replacement therapy before competing. However many people say that rule isn’t fair — anyone who has gone through a male puberty has an unfair advantage in strengths based sports against anyone who hasn’t. Others say that the rules are fine.

Back in December 2020, Emma Hilton (developmental biologist) and Tommy Lundberg (physiologist) published about the issue of male puberty advantage in Sports Medicine.

The performance gap is more pronounced in sporting activities relying on muscle mass and explosive strength, particularly in the upper body. Longitudinal studies examining the effects of testosterone suppression on muscle mass and strength in transgender women consistently show very modest changes, where the loss of lean body mass, muscle area and strength typically amounts to approximately 5% after 12 months of treatment. Thus, the muscular advantage enjoyed by transgender women is only minimally reduced when testosterone is suppressed. Sports organizations should consider this evidence when reassessing current policies regarding participation of transgender women in the female category of sport.

Transgender Women in the Female Category of Sport: Perspectives on Testosterone Suppression and Performance Advantage. Sports Medicine, 51, 2020.

Lia Thomas’ victory at NCAA swimming finals sparks fierce debate over trans athletes, The Guardian, March 21, 2022.

Women’s conference gets picketed by trans rights activists

A Women’s Place UK meeting held in Manchester of around 150 people, mostly women, was picketed by around 150 people in a protest organised by Manchester Trans Rise up. Videos show the protesters yelling terfs off our turf, Women’s Place UK is a place of hate, and fuck off terfs.

On their website Women’s Place UK lists 5 resolutions: Women have a right to self-organise; An end to violence against women; Nothing about us without us; The law must work for women; and Sex matters. The focus of the meeting was on the importance of single-sex provision in policy and law. Protesters took this to mean it was about excluding trans women from women’s spaces.