The popular fitness cult company CrossFit was just slapped with a $2.5 million lawsuit from a trans woman in California who claims she was denied an opportunity to compete in the women’s division at the upcoming CrossFit Games because, TMZ reports, “she was born with a penis.”
Chloie Jonnson, who stands 5’4 and weighs 151 pounds, underwent gender-reassignment surgery in 2006 and is legally recognized by the State of California as a woman. Yet when she inquired about competing in the upcoming Games, the fitness giant replied in a letter obtained by TMZ:
We have simply ruled that based upon [Jonnson] being born as a male, she will need to compete in the Men’s Division. The fundamental, ineluctable fact is that a male competitor who has a sex reassignment procedure still has a genetic makeup that confers a physical and physiological advantage over women.
We might be able to understand (which is different from agreeing with) that argument, except that the letter then takes an unnecessarily snarky turn:
How about we take this to the next level?
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Our decision has nothing to do with ‘ignorance’ or being bigots — it has to do with a very real understanding of the human genome, of fundamental biology, that you are either intentionally ignoring or missed in high school.
It’s one thing to tell the woman “no” but insulting her intelligence is beyond disrespectful.
Jonnson claims CrossFit is violating her civil rights by not letting her compete as a woman and is asking for $2.5 million.
CrossFit maintains it is in the right, saying trans athletes will be “welcomed with open arms in this community, but what we will not waver from is our commitment to ensure the fairness of the competition.”
vklortho
If trans women were at such a humongous advantage then you would think they would be dominating the Olympics non-stop. How many medal winners are there that are trans since the IOC allowed them to compete in 2004?
Thedrdonna
As someone pointed out elsewhere, I wonder how they feel about trans men competing with the women? Dudes who have been on T for years and years?
Fitz
She wasn’t just born with a penis, she was born with testicles.. which made testosterone for the first many years of her life. This allowed her to grow thicker muscles and bones and faster reflexes. Born-women have a right to their competition too. It’s an unfair advantage. There should maybe be another set of competitions which are gender neutral.
Thedrdonna
Umm muscles are testosterone dependent, which is why the Olympic committee said that after two years (I think) of hormone therapy it’s all cool. Also, that bone density thing hasn’t bee proven by anyone to have any major effect, and especially in disciplines like weightlifting trying to push male-derived bone masses with female-normal muscles would actually be a disadvantage. Not to mention that most trans women actually have a lower testosterone level than cis women, so their muscles are, on average, weaker.
Fitz
You’ve no medical training, I think. The # of muscle cells is dependent on a few things, including genetics and environment and stress. (by environment, they mean the hormone soup around them.. By stress they mean how many times they are taxed to exhaustion). So even a transwoman, or for that mater a man who had to have his testicles removed for other reasons, had that during pre latency and then again during puberty and presumably into early adulthood. In other words.. there is a difference. I’m not anti transperson on this. I just don’t think it’s fair to people who are born women to get pushed out of sports. And reflex and bone density absolutely have been proven. It’s not reasonable. That’s why I think a third competition which doesn’t care about gender might be the only option that doesn’t screw one group over for the sake of pleasing another.
Fitz
Above should read #of muscle cells grown during early childhood.
Thedrdonna
I haven’t, but it sounds like you haven’t either. Here’s an excerpt of the NCAA’s statement of inclusion for trans athletes: “It is also important to know that any strength and endurance advantages a transgender woman argu- ably may have as a result of her prior testosterone levels dissipate after about one year of estrogen or testos- terone-suppression therapy. According to medical experts on this issue, the assumption that a transgender woman competing on a women’s team would have a competitive advantage outside the range of performance and competitive advantage or disadvantage that already exists among female athletes is not supported by evidence.”
balehead
I think it would be cooler if she did compete with the men….
bottom72
You need to educate yourself on the subject Thedrdonna. The olympics educated themselves on the topic and post-op trans athletics can compete.
Fitz
Yeah, your right. Screw women. Were queer. All we need to care about is gay men and trans people. Let’s keep bio-women where they belong, barefoot and in the kitchen and out of our way. I keep forgetting that being queer means being misogynist. I’ll try to remember next time.
Thedrdonna
Bottom, perhaps you meant Fitz? He’s the one who’s been hating on trans folks, while I’m pointing out all the myriad ways in which he is wrong.
Fitz, I have no idea where you got that from. Good job at trying to distract from the topic.
tricky ricky
quite frankly I am sick and tired of the whole transsexual issue. they have absolutely nothing to do with the gay rights movement or gays. they are a whole other kettle of fish.
SoThenWhatHappened
They’re completely right. Get over it.
TinoTurner
Of course this person has an unfair advantage. Think of all the real women that have put in so much time and energy to compete honestly and then having a trans person who was born a man take that from you? You’d better believe that I’d raise hell if I were those women.
vklortho
Can anyone in this thread name a single instance where a trans woman was allowed to compete with cis women on a professional level and completely dominated because of their so-called “advantages”? Name one please! Trans women have been allowed to compete in the olympics since 2004 as long as they have been on HRT for two years and have had SRS and can anyone tell me how many trans women medalists there have been in weight lifting, boxing, running, or any of those other events where you would think there “advantage” would be greatest? Can anyone tell me how many trans women have even competed in the olympics? These are some of the most competitive events in the world so they should dominate everything right?
mallorie
Perhaps, with the same logic, Crossfit should group trans men in the same grouping as the women, because testosterone in trans men’s blood is overlooked as an advantage because genetically, they are XX. Guys, do a bit of research before you spew out intellectual diarrhea. Testosterone is the big issue here, and if she’s post op for 8 years, what testosterone is she still producing? Less than the average for women, for sure.
Go do your research. There’s this thing called the internet, it is full of amazing facts and details, but also full of ignorant folk, just like on this site. Way to go, privileged cis folk.
lanny
Why don’t Transgenders create MTF and FTM Sports Events so they’re competing on an equal playing field?! Why are we seeing more MTF’s competing against biological female athletes now?! There are MAJOR male physical/anatomical features* that NEVER diminish after a MTF Transgender begins Hormone therapy and/or has re-assignment cosmetic surgery! Those physical features gives MTF’s a greater athletic advantage over biological females in sporting competitions.
*-Males are usually taller with longer legs and arms
-Males have larger hearts & lungs- Male lung capacity is 30% more than women
_Males have greater strength, especially in the upper body
-Males higher levels of testosterone (up to HRT) cause them to produce greater amounts of red blood cells
-Males have better distance vision and depth perception, and usually better vision in lighted environments
-Men build muscle easily, have thicker skin, bruise less easily and have a lower threshold of awareness of injuries to their extremities.
-Males are essentially built for ‘survival’, physical confrontation and use of force. Their joints are well suited for throwing, bending.
-Male’s skulls are almost always thicker and stronger than a female’s
-Peak bone density is higher in males bones than in female’s bones
URGENT- Female Athletes: obtain biological/scientific data & proof of the above so you can get the MTF’s eliminated from competing… you’ve fought too hard to get where you are now just to lose to a ‘female’ that still has male internal and external physical attributes.
FYI… I’m a Lesbian who thinks MTF athletes are dishonest.
lanny
@Fitz: Agreed. See my comments. Female Athletes and Sporting Organizations better do their scientific research and provide scientific evidence fast… otherwise the MTF’s will figure out they can compete and win a large % of the time.
lanny
@tricky ricky: agreed! even within my lgbt circles (i’m lesbian) the transgenders want all the attention and extra special treatment from society.
lanny
@TinoTurner: yes and it’s time biological women raised hell and got the scientific evidence that shows MTF’s have a greater advantage over biological females – see my list. i find it odd that more MTF’s are starting to surface in female sports now = some don’t disclose their ‘status’ until they’ve been competing and winning… hmmm
vklortho
@lanny: l2endocrinology plz. kthx.
Thedrdonna
@vklortho: Hahaha perfect response. Lanny appears to have an even more tenuous grasp of science than whatever bonehead is responding to athlete’s emails at CrossFit.
xamthor
wow… some of you are so ignorant and close minded to Trans- issues… I swear the comment section was taken from TMZ. Educate yourself.
GeriHew
I’ve met transwomen who totally pass and transwomen who totally don’t and I’m afraid never will. I don’t know. Maybe issues like this need to be dealt with on a case by case basis.