I just read a very interesting article in the June issue of Bike magazine called Venus Envy

The article really bothered me. Its seems a transgender woman (M->female) took up mtn biking. She got really good, started competing as an amateur, then as a pro. Some pro women protested her right to compete (not when she was amatuer, and only when growing talent threatened their podium finishes), she was suspended. Reinstated by Canada's IOC and other governing bodies she still gets dissed when she podiums.

Now granted, my views may be a bit different than some... I've lived in the gay/lesbian/transgender community in one way or another for more than 20 yrs. When I played rugby, my team had a M->F transgendered person on our team. We got boycotted at a tournament, but surprisingly the tournament upheld her right to play... and this was in the early '80s.

This story really got to me for the following reasons:
  • mtn biking started, and was for yrs a unisex anti conformity thing
  • the drugs the subject took to "become" female made her weaker, not stronger
  • the whole idea that there is a "guy" way of viewing a course is ridiculous to me, especially coming from pros
  • it's 2005 for gosh sake!


There's more, but I am really interested in other folks views, in cycling or any other sport for that matter.

spazz