Another in my discussion series. I hope maybe you can use these in your support group, church group, work DEI discussion group, classroom, etc.
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Today’s discussion come s form the UK Daily Mail at this link. Excerpts are provided with proper citation in case you don’t have time to read the whole article.
Ricci Tres, 29, spoke about her victory over a 13-year-old girl at The Boardr Open — a women’s skateboard contest
“I wasn’t going to go easy on them just because they’re kids,” said Tres
She said she doesn’t think she has an advantage despite being biologically male because she’s “not buff”
Tres, formerly Richard Batres, has been on hormones for two years but has not had reassignment surgery
She says skateboarding is more rooted in ‘skill and determination’ than ‘physicality’
She said kids aged 12 and up are just as much of a threat to her as adults, and that means it’s fair for her to compete against them.
For context, ages of (female) winners at The Boardr Open, 2nd-6th place: 13, 18, 28, 10, 12
Ricci plans to continue competing in open contests to raise her ranking and one day get a spot on Team USA women’s Olympic skateboarding
Discussion questions:
- Is skateboarding largely a non-physical skill?
- Does a transgender women have a biological advantage in this sport?
- More broadly, does inclusion of transgender women help, hurt, or have no impact on competitive women’s sports?
- Should 28+ year-olds be competing against 10,12, 13 year-olds regardless of gender or identification?
- Was her statement about “kids” kind of harsh?
- Does her inclusion in the event, and her eventual winning, help or hinder the acceptance of trans people everywhere?
- Is this situation different than the UPenn swimmer Lia Thomas situation?
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Again, find the comprehensive story at the UK Daily Mail.
Would very much like to hear your responses to the above discussion questions in the comments, KEEP THEM CIVIL PLEASE — it’s a discussion not a shouting match.
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This post was previously published on medium.com.
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You may also like these posts on The Good Men Project:
White Fragility: Talking to White People About Racism | Escape the “Act Like a Man” Box | The Lack of Gentle Platonic Touch in Men’s Lives is a Killer | What We Talk About When We Talk About Men |
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Photo credit: Isaac Chou on Unsplash