On Sunday, a biological man who identifies as a woman took the Masters world records for women’s squat, women’s bench press, and women’s deadlift. A female Olympian responded by condemning the “pointless, unfair playing field” where biological women are beaten by biological men who identify as transgender women.
“What a day, 9 for 9! Masters world squat record, open world bench record, masters world dl record, and masters world total record!” Mary Gregory posted on Instagram. Gregory thanked the Raw Powerlifting Federation. “As a transgender lifter I was unsure what to expect going into this meet and everyone – all the spotters, loaders, referees, staff, meet director, all made me welcome and treated me as just another female lifter- thank you!”
Transgender activists may celebrate these world records, but former British Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies condemned the basic unfairness of biological men competing with biological women.
“This is a trans woman a male body with male physiology setting a world record & winning a woman’s event in America in powerlifting. A woman with female biology cannot compete,” Davies tweeted. “It’s a pointless unfair playing field.”
This is a trans woman a male body with male physiology setting a world record & winning a woman’s event in America in powerlifting. A woman with female biology cannot compete.. it’s a pointless unfair playing field. https://t.co/sI9i3AFANB
— Sharron Davies MBE (@sharrond62) April 28, 2019
Davies went on to lament that in many sports — especially in the United States — biological men may compete against biological women without having to undergo surgery or take hormones or even have a professional medical diagnosis.
“No surgery required today… no hormones… no medical diagnosis.. just self ID & reduced testosterone to a level x5 the highest average (98%) of XX females.. far worse than most realise. Madness & unfair,” she tweeted.
No surgery required today .. no hormones… no medical diagnosis.. just self ID & reduced testosterone to a level x5 the highest average (98%) of XX females.. far worse than most realise. Madness & unfair
— Sharron Davies MBE (@sharrond62) April 29, 2019
“The reason we have men & women’s races are because we are biologically different,” Davies explained. “Performance 100% confirms that. The reason steroids (including testosterone) are on the banned list is because using them gives you an advantage. FairPlay is racing by biology by sex not by gender.”
The reason we have men & women’s races are because we are biologically different. Performance 100% confirms that. The reason steroids (including testosterone) are on the banned list is because using them gives you an advantage. FairPlay is racing by biology by sex not by gender
— Sharron Davies MBE (@sharrond62) April 29, 2019
The organization Save Women’s Sports also drew attention to Gregory on Facebook.
“Mary was born a man and is very proud of this cool new trophy from dominating the women’s division in powerlifting,” the group posted on Facebook. “Mary now has the women’s masters world squat record, open world bench record, masters world deadlift record, and masters world total record.”
Indeed, some of Mary Gregory’s recent Instagram posts show just how masculine this transgender “woman” looks.
“Transgender inclusion in women’s sports will be the end of women’s sports. Now is the time to speak up!” the organization added.
Meet Mary Gregory. Mary was born a man and is very proud of this cool new trophy from dominating the women's division…
Posted by Save Women's Sports on Sunday, April 28, 2019
Indeed, Davis is correct. Men and women have important biological differences. Duke Law School Professor Doriane Lambelet Coleman testified that biological males have an inherent athletic advantage over biological females due to the chemical makeup of their bodies. Segregating sports on the basis of biological sex provides “extraordinary value” by inspiring young girls that they can measure up to the records set by their fellow biological women.
Americans and others should sympathize with people who suffer with gender dysphoria (the persistent identification with the gender opposite their biological sex), but that does not mean everyone has to agree that socially-accepted transgender identity is the solution to these struggles. In fact, encouraging transgender identity, hormones, and surgery for this struggle is akin to encouraging a weight loss regimen for teen girls with anorexia. The transgender movement may do more harm than good.
When biological men claiming to identify as women compete in these sports, they destroy fair competition. They break records that biological women worked hard to set, and set new records that will be harder for biological women to break. Mary Gregory’s weightlifting is impressive, but he is still a man and should not be allowed to set world records in women’s sports.
Follow Tyler O’Neil, the author of this article, on Twitter at @Tyler2ONeil.
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