Malcolm Gladwell 'ashamed' of being 'cowed' on trans athletes in female sport

Glad to see that Bad Wigins is still up and about

Or, rather more cynically, he's just following the herd and he's seen that it's much more socially acceptable to be anti-trans now. Given how easily Gladwell seems to be persuaded by single, often not replicable, social science studies in his main line of work, it looks like he's a man of fairly malleable beliefs

I would need to rewatch the debate, but I remember that when I watched it at the time I suspected that Gladwell agreed with Ross (remember he's a massive track and field fan) but that the trans activists on stage got a fairly softball experience compared to Ross who must have felt like he was in the lion's den. I think, given the climate at that point, he was more objective than 90% of other chairs would have been, but he was still a bit toothless. So if my memory serves me correctly, he hasn't actually changed his position, he was just a bit soft on the opposition- which he more than holds himself accountable for.

That is Not anti-trans. It is Pro-woman Athletic Fairness and Safety. Simple. Period.
It's also not a herd. It's breaking from the herd that managed to gain some seriously funky momentum. It was based on fear and guilt, and now the policies are much nearer reality and science and fact.

If trans females " just want to compete ", they still are able, and hopefully will --to at least stay physically heathy.

Many in the Alt-Right world want trans people to vanish - they think they are not real.

Gladwell - like most - is limiting his comments to sport. And most of us would agree - there some distinct advantages that accrue to being born cis XY.

I agree.
You can support the wellbeing of trans people while still acknowledging that trans women (and even some intersex women) should not be competing against XX women.

That isn’t anti-trans. It’s fairness.

Since when is being pro biology and pro woman viewed as “hateful”?

Who used the word "hateful"?

It is, by definition, anti-trans inclusion in sport. You can argue whether that's right or wrong, but you can't pretend that it's not anti-trans inclusion. Ross repeatedly makes that clear himself, that this is an issue about competing rights and wherever you land, one group is going to lose out in some way. The only issue that's really up for debate is which group you want to deprive. There's no perfect solution here, only a least imperfect outcome.

Well, if you label biological males not being able to compete in women’s sports as losing then yes you will lose and there will be no compromise and we don’t give a rats ass what you think feel or have to say about it.

Tucker is generally good on this stuff, he's at least consistent, and as an academic, he'll be well used to bear-pit debates. I'm sure he handled himself well. Gladwell has never struck me as a person of strong beliefs. Far too easily impressed, never reads material with a critical eye.

It’s against “inclusion” in the same way that a doping ban is against “inclusion” for PED users.

Again, yes, a group is losing out in this scenario. You obviously don't care about that, which is your right.

Nah sorry, I'd say by definition it's objectively male exclusion from a protected category for females. In the exact same way that age categories and weight categories do not allow for ineligible participants- they exclude. You wouldn't say that high school sport is 'anti-adult inclusion' would you?

All the stuff he said about the path for kids to become elite in Tennis and Golf becoming narrowed to the point it could take 100k a year to prep a kid was way more interesting.

I don't think he's one of the brilliant minds of our age but he does think about things and his real skill is communication.

It's a great interview, well worth a listen

Trans people can play dress up and live in make believe land but no competitive sports for you. Let’s put it to a vote next year, midterms. Oh, but the sickos and enablers don’t want that because it’s a 90/10 issue at worst. That’s 90% against enablers.

Let's be clear!

The issue is not trans in sports!

The issue is males in womens' sports.

Our opposition is not to the existence of trans people.

Our opposition is to Males in women's sports.

The gender people keep bringing this back to general trans inclusion because it obfuscates the real issue, which is MALES IN WOMEN'S SPORTS.

Wrong. A man, with chromosomes XY who wants to compete against XX because they feel "feminine", is not the same type of "group that's losing out" as natural women would in this scenario.

Trans person can compete no problem, in their natural XY category. (Listen, no one is concerned about XX trying to compete in XY sports).

Do you "trust the science" that is evolution? Do you think it stopped when "homo sapiens" were "evolved"? It didn't. Each and every one of us is a unique branch of evolution. Our traits may not be fully compatible with society. It is a foolish ideology that thinks society should adapt to every individual whim.

Would've gotten canceled by the Dim mob. Why risk it.