Dr Alex Cruikshanks
@alexsaysstuff.bsky.social
Historian of the former Yugoslavia and ethnic partitionism. X-Men opinion-haver. Did a PhD on diplomacy in the Bosnian War. Host of The History of Yugoslavia podcast.
Which top sports operated on a self-ID basis for eligibility and led to trans people who'd entered purely on that basis winning "top medals"?
And actual top sporting examples, please, not a linked Gish Gallop of school frisbee tournaments and other events we both know you'd never heard of before.
And actual top sporting examples, please, not a linked Gish Gallop of school frisbee tournaments and other events we both know you'd never heard of before.
November 27, 2025 at 12:15 AM
Which top sports operated on a self-ID basis for eligibility and led to trans people who'd entered purely on that basis winning "top medals"?
And actual top sporting examples, please, not a linked Gish Gallop of school frisbee tournaments and other events we both know you'd never heard of before.
And actual top sporting examples, please, not a linked Gish Gallop of school frisbee tournaments and other events we both know you'd never heard of before.
You were the one who said "the rest of us".
Most people who use slurs for, repeat bigoted tropes about, or just generally have a prejudicial attitude towards disabled people or ethnic minorities will never physically attack them. But it would be absurd to suggest the levels of the two are unrelated
Most people who use slurs for, repeat bigoted tropes about, or just generally have a prejudicial attitude towards disabled people or ethnic minorities will never physically attack them. But it would be absurd to suggest the levels of the two are unrelated
November 27, 2025 at 12:10 AM
You were the one who said "the rest of us".
Most people who use slurs for, repeat bigoted tropes about, or just generally have a prejudicial attitude towards disabled people or ethnic minorities will never physically attack them. But it would be absurd to suggest the levels of the two are unrelated
Most people who use slurs for, repeat bigoted tropes about, or just generally have a prejudicial attitude towards disabled people or ethnic minorities will never physically attack them. But it would be absurd to suggest the levels of the two are unrelated
Sure, absolutely no-one has any prejudice or antagonism towards intersex people at all...
November 26, 2025 at 11:53 PM
Sure, absolutely no-one has any prejudice or antagonism towards intersex people at all...
e.g. IOC rules from 2004-2015 required legal sex change and surgery.
November 26, 2025 at 11:45 PM
e.g. IOC rules from 2004-2015 required legal sex change and surgery.
And, to my knowledge, few trans and intersex inclusive sporting eligibility rules, at least at the top levels, ever operated on this principle, instead typically employing some level of medical and/or legal criteria.
November 26, 2025 at 11:43 PM
And, to my knowledge, few trans and intersex inclusive sporting eligibility rules, at least at the top levels, ever operated on this principle, instead typically employing some level of medical and/or legal criteria.
I'm sure they would. Shame interphobes aren't willing to let them.
November 26, 2025 at 11:40 PM
I'm sure they would. Shame interphobes aren't willing to let them.
Do you think such a category would be numerically viable at most levels of sport?
November 26, 2025 at 11:35 PM
Do you think such a category would be numerically viable at most levels of sport?
Ah, so you clearly knew exactly what Rob meant, and that disingenuous dance was just wasting both our time.
November 26, 2025 at 11:33 PM
Ah, so you clearly knew exactly what Rob meant, and that disingenuous dance was just wasting both our time.
Self-ID in a trans context refers to the specific situation of a person's gender/sex category being determined purely by their own self-identification with no other medical or judicial criteria.
November 26, 2025 at 11:28 PM
Self-ID in a trans context refers to the specific situation of a person's gender/sex category being determined purely by their own self-identification with no other medical or judicial criteria.
There are plenty of disadvantages w/o a separate category, and vice versa. It's *a* reason, but usually there's an additional reason why we consider it socially important for a disadvantaged group to be able to participate at particular levels of sport.
November 26, 2025 at 11:13 PM
There are plenty of disadvantages w/o a separate category, and vice versa. It's *a* reason, but usually there's an additional reason why we consider it socially important for a disadvantaged group to be able to participate at particular levels of sport.
Yes, and intersex women are among those women who would clearly be at an unfair disadvantage if they had to compete against men.
More broadly though, it simply isn't true that disadvantage is the only reason for the existence of separate categories.
More broadly though, it simply isn't true that disadvantage is the only reason for the existence of separate categories.
November 26, 2025 at 11:13 PM
Yes, and intersex women are among those women who would clearly be at an unfair disadvantage if they had to compete against men.
More broadly though, it simply isn't true that disadvantage is the only reason for the existence of separate categories.
More broadly though, it simply isn't true that disadvantage is the only reason for the existence of separate categories.
No-one said anything about self-ID. Trans and intersex inclusive eligibility rules in women's sport do not typically operate on a self-ID basis.
November 26, 2025 at 11:02 PM
No-one said anything about self-ID. Trans and intersex inclusive eligibility rules in women's sport do not typically operate on a self-ID basis.
This is quite transparently disingenuous. If all that's needed to render you "able to take part" is a competition which you are not de jure barred from, then there would be no need for any kind of separate category at all.
November 26, 2025 at 10:43 PM
This is quite transparently disingenuous. If all that's needed to render you "able to take part" is a competition which you are not de jure barred from, then there would be no need for any kind of separate category at all.
To give obvious differences though, i) age is a transitory characteristic - ultimately everyone (unless they die) passes through every age grouping, and ii) we generally accept a certain formal arbitrary element to age, that what's recorded on your birth certificate is ultimately authoritative.
November 26, 2025 at 10:34 PM
To give obvious differences though, i) age is a transitory characteristic - ultimately everyone (unless they die) passes through every age grouping, and ii) we generally accept a certain formal arbitrary element to age, that what's recorded on your birth certificate is ultimately authoritative.
I'm sure lots of people have a school memory of someone who was for administrative or developmental reasons in the "wrong" year group at school and so may have played U16 sport at 17 or similar, I certainly remember a couple of cases of that.
November 26, 2025 at 10:34 PM
I'm sure lots of people have a school memory of someone who was for administrative or developmental reasons in the "wrong" year group at school and so may have played U16 sport at 17 or similar, I certainly remember a couple of cases of that.
Breaking: Farage asserts that "Not a racist" shirt was "just my school's uniform, all the boys wore them".
November 26, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Breaking: Farage asserts that "Not a racist" shirt was "just my school's uniform, all the boys wore them".
I continue to maintain that the full 1992 Croatian Constitutional Act on National and Ethnic Communities or Minorities should still be implemented and frankly that its implementation should've been a requirement of Croatia joining the EU.
November 26, 2025 at 2:45 PM
I continue to maintain that the full 1992 Croatian Constitutional Act on National and Ethnic Communities or Minorities should still be implemented and frankly that its implementation should've been a requirement of Croatia joining the EU.
I mean, they should have that right anyway imo (as they should have it to Poland, Czechia, Slovenia, etc)
November 26, 2025 at 2:39 PM
I mean, they should have that right anyway imo (as they should have it to Poland, Czechia, Slovenia, etc)
Definitely not German though, that would be equally grim as Russian.
November 26, 2025 at 2:14 PM
Definitely not German though, that would be equally grim as Russian.
inb4 Dov calls for a revival of Old Prussian
November 26, 2025 at 2:14 PM
inb4 Dov calls for a revival of Old Prussian
An idea whose time has come...
Bespoke: Arctic People's Confederal Union
November 26, 2025 at 2:02 PM
An idea whose time has come...
Chukotka EU membership going to be fun
November 26, 2025 at 1:58 PM
Chukotka EU membership going to be fun