PrintNew Zealand transgender weightlifter breaks women's records
A New Zealand man who "transitioned to a woman" has won the over 90 kilogram weightlifting class at an international event in Auckland. And he shattered records in the process.
Laurel Hubbard, who previously competed in the sport as a man, set records in the snatch, the clean and jerk, for a total of 280 kg, setting a record in all three events and winning the competition over female competitors.
Laurel Hubbard, who previously competed in the sport as a man [sic], set new high marks at the World Masters Games in Auckland Saturday, snatching 131kg and lifting 149kg in the clean and jerk for a total of 280kg, reported the New Zealand Herald.
All three marks would have broken New Zealand records in the 90kg-plus women's division, which Ms. [sic] Hubbard set last month in her debut in the Australian International in Melbourne but are not claimable under the World Masters Games conditions.
Olympic Weightlifting New Zealand manager Simon Kent described Saturday's performance as "magnificent."
"This is such a new issue for society o have a conversation about," Ms. Kent told the Herald. "It really challenges how people respond to it – it's not something that is openly discussed or talked about."
"As an organization, we're tremendously proud of what Laurel's doing," he said. "She's [sic] tremendously courageous to do what she's doing."
"Tremendously courageous" is not exactly how I would describe Hubbard's performance. How about patently unfair?
A couple of women who competed against Hubbard were not pleased.
Hubbard was congratulated by her [sic] competitors after the ceremony.
However, afterwards, bronze medallist Kaitlyn Fassina was less effusive.
"She [sic] is who she [sic] is. That's the way the politics...and what the New Zealanders have decided. I can't say much more than that. She [sic] is seen as female and that's the way it is."
Two-time Olympian Deborah Acason went further.
"If I was in that category I wouldn't feel like I was in an equal situation. I just feel that if it's not even why are we doing the sport?"
Weightlifting New Zealand's Emma Pilkington said Hubbard was feeling "overwhelmed".
"She's [sic] so genuine, she [sic] loves all her [sic] team-mates and her [sic] teammates are all really supportive."
That result will give Hubbard a major claim for selection for the NZ weightlifting team for next year's Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in Australia.
It's understood Hubbard, who once competed at national level as Gavin Hubbard, transitioned [sic] in her [sic] mid-30s.
Most people have not been paying attention to this growing issue. But by the time the Olympic games roll around, that is going to change. It will be the number-one issue at the games, and it will be raised by female athletes.
Deborah Acason asks the proper question: why compete at all when the playing field is rigged against real female athletes?
We are different long before we are born. The hormone baths in the womb create different brains, different muscles, different bone. Not superior, not inferior, but different. Transitioning doesn't change all that. Transitioning in the current state of the art is at best cosmetic. There are some people whom the cosmetic helps, psychologically, but to pretend cosmetic, superficial change goes all the way down is "politically correct", a term invented by Mao Zedong to signify something patently false that ideology dictated be "true." In other words it is believing ideology over our lying eyes.
There are profound physiological differences between men and women that do not "transition" when a man decides to live as a woman. Superior upper body strength and skeletal differences that allow men to run faster and jump higher, are just two physical advantages that men have that don't disappear when a "transition" occurs.
Editor Lifson asks laconically, "Is the WNBA accepting transgenders yet"? No, but when it does, watch the women howl. It's one thing to be allowed to compete in an "amateur" competition. But taking money out of the pockets of female basketball players will almost certainly result in strong protests. Even if one is ideologically committed to trans rights, it's amazing what happens to one's political beliefs if a male calling himself a woman takes a contract away from a female.
The forces pushing gender fluidity on the rest of us have the advantage for now. They can get some of us to pretend that Hubbard is a real woman and should be celebrated for his "courage." But as ideologically committed as some women are to the idea of trans rights, I can't believe they will accept this situation without eventually going to the mattresses.
When they do, it won't be pretty.
