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Ben Hamar

Ben Hamar

@kgkaktus.bsky.social

120 followers 93 following 330 posts

Watch Team Handball 🏐 on the Olympics. My fencing instructor turned me on to it. Her gift to me. My gift to you.

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Ben Hamar @kgkaktus.bsky.social · 2m

All most people know is Lia went from 65th/554th/32nd in 2021 competing against men to 1st/5th/8th were in 2022 competing against women. They see it as unfair.

They don't know Lia was on HRT in 2021. That said, unless Lia's performance in 2020 was much better, this is still a hard case to make.

Ben Hamar @kgkaktus.bsky.social · 11m

Leave it up to the politicians? Insane.

After protesters marched in Selma & were set upon w/dogs & firehoses, people who'd been indoctrinated by racist media & attitudes saw they'd been told lies about the protesters.

And media then was almost as biased about that as about trans rights.

From the archives: 50 years ago, mixed views about civil rights but support for Selma demonstrators

In 1965, America’s verdict on Selma was clear: Polling showed the public clearly siding with the demonstrators, not with the state of Alabama.

www.pewresearch.org

Ben Hamar @kgkaktus.bsky.social · 24m

Good luck educating the 85% who don't share your exact viewpoint.

Ben Hamar @kgkaktus.bsky.social · 45m

LOL "TERF is a neutral term"

Ben Hamar @kgkaktus.bsky.social · 49m

Valid point. I'd say that much of legacy media is still reachable, if you can make a better case than just saying 'trans folks going from 65th/554th/32nd to 1st/5th/8th is what is & you're gonna have to accept it'.

E.g. how did Lia rank vs male swimmers before she started HRT?

Ben Hamar @kgkaktus.bsky.social · 53m

I'm fine w/using trans folk, etc rather than TRA.

Weird that people here are lumping me in w/the 66% of America that opposes trans folk taking part in sports of their preferred gender.

I'm not in the 15% who support that w/out further tinkering but I'm hella closer to them than to the 66%.

Ben Hamar @kgkaktus.bsky.social · 1h

Valid point. But everybody on the left is similar situation to a lesser degree. Look at how Mamdani is getting demonized just for advocating trying harm-reduction strategies like a few publicly-funded grocery stores in food deserts.

It is what it is.

Ben Hamar @kgkaktus.bsky.social · 1h

Glad to use the preferred phrase.

Weird that you used TERF while making that argument tho.

Ben Hamar @kgkaktus.bsky.social · 1h

What's your preferred phrase. Glad to use it.

Ben Hamar @kgkaktus.bsky.social · 1h

A lot of people making the case chose to dwell on weird arguments like 'There's really no difference between 1st/5th/8th and 65th/554th/32nd' instead of making the case that Lia started HRT months b4 her final mens season.

That's still a hard case but it needs to be made.

Ben Hamar @kgkaktus.bsky.social · 1h

Take the people who agree w/you about 90% of trans rights (e.g. whether trans folks should get to use their preferred bathrooms, be held in prisons w/their preferred gender,etc) & purity test them on whether they agree 100% of your stand on a single issue.

Sorry that discussions r so hard for you.

Ben Hamar @kgkaktus.bsky.social · 1h

We'll have to agree to disagree whether there's a difference between 1st/5th/8th and 65th/554th/32nd.

Ben Hamar @kgkaktus.bsky.social · 1h

That's valid. 15% < 50% so I agree w/Newsom about compromise.

All non-bigots agree everybody should take part in sport as the gender they feel they are. Not all of us agree that trans women should undergo HRT before competing in NCAA sports. Or about t levels. Or... etc...

Compromise is necessary.

Ben Hamar @kgkaktus.bsky.social · 1h

I'm fine with using whatever phrase trans folks prefer.

Using the phrase that a group prefers is important.

I don't consider myself part of the 'gender critical' crowd since I disagree w/most of their stances but for the folks here who do think I'm GC, they'll want to use that, not TERF.

Ben Hamar @kgkaktus.bsky.social · 1h

You're upset about the acronym TRA? It's a dogwhistle?

It's an acronym and it saves space. Just like TERF saves space.

But if "trans people that stand up for their rights" is the phrase you prefer I'll gladly use TPTSUFTR because that's what you do in good-faith discussions.

Ben Hamar @kgkaktus.bsky.social · 1h

Trans Rights Activists

Ben Hamar @kgkaktus.bsky.social · 3h

I reversed the dates. The 1st/5th/8th were in 2022 at the champs.

The 65th/554th/32nd were in 2021, comparing Lia's best times to the best times of other NCAA swimmers. Not at champs.

I'm bemused that I caught that but you didn't. Guess you were distracted by those terrible AFAIKs.

Ben Hamar @kgkaktus.bsky.social · 3h

Oh hell. I reversed the dates. The 1st/5th/8th were in 2022 at the champs.

The 65th/554th/32nd were in 2021, comparing Lia's best times to the best times of other NCAA swimmers. Not at champs.

Ben Hamar @kgkaktus.bsky.social · 4h

I explicitly said the 554th & her other rankings that year were NOT from the champs.

Ben Hamar @kgkaktus.bsky.social · 4h

I believe you misread my post. The '554th' was comparing her best time to the best times of other NCAA swimmers that year, not at the champs.

Ben Hamar @kgkaktus.bsky.social · 4h

Distances -- 1st in 500. 5th in 200. 8th in 100. In 2021 at championships.

In 2022, 65th, 554th, 32nd -- AFAIK from best times compared to other NCAA swimmers' best times.

Ben Hamar @kgkaktus.bsky.social · 4h

The women's rankings are from the 2022 National Championships. AFAIK, Lia didn't make the national champs in 2021 so the rankings are comparing her best times that season to the best times of all other NCAA swimmers.

Ben Hamar @kgkaktus.bsky.social · 4h

"bad faith" -- the Fox News of the world aren't going to give TRAs a chance to make their case.

Most of the media is.

Most people don't know Lia started HRT before her final season w/men. But AFAIK, Lia's finishes in the season prior to that weren't higher. This won't be an easy case to make.

Ben Hamar @kgkaktus.bsky.social · 4h

Some of the 66%? Bigots.

Most are responding to media. 90% of coverage? Lia Thomas going from 65th, 554th & 32nd, in 2021 competing w/men, to 1st, 5th, & 8th in the country, competing in 2022 w/women.

TRAs did a crap job of explaining Lia was on HRT in 2021. The 'panic' is wrong but not insane.

Ben Hamar @kgkaktus.bsky.social · 5h

Newsom agreed to "Do you think there should be changes in the state law..."

66% of Americans agree "require trans athletes to compete on teams that match the sex... assigned at birth". 15% disagree.

Newsom's reading the room. TRAs need to make a better case.
www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/...

Americans have grown more supportive of restrictions for trans people in recent years

Two-thirds of U.S. adults favor laws and policies that require trans athletes to compete on teams that match their sex assigned at birth.

www.pewresearch.org