It’s a manufactured controversy with only a handful of trans athletes (usually at high school level) in the entire country. It does not make the slightest difference to the lives of the vast, vast majority of voters. If you let it outweigh factors that actually affect your life then you’re a dumb voter.
Is the crucial statement there. Not “it is”.
> It affects women and parents of girls
No it doesn’t. It’s a new boogeyman to demonize that isn’t actually a factor in almost anyone’s lives. Not to mention that the people pushing this issue are proposing things like genital inspections to ensure the boogeyman never arrives:
https://www.newsweek.com/kansas-republicans-pass-bill-genita...
As the parent of a girl I’m a hell of a lot more concerned about that than I am of a trans kid wanting to play sports.
I agree with "seen as" vibes think of the children era being foolish but its what liberal parents are talking about. Mega followers never accepted trans in sport or life so this doesn't change viewpoints.
The "issue" is only an "issue" because some people on Fox News told you it was an "issue." Ask what you're being distracted from.
Suddenly, not wanting trans folks to participate in civilization, Conservatives have gone all in on the transvestigation bullshit that includes genital inspections, accusing conventionally less feminine-looking cis women of being men, etc.
These people are just bigots.
But of course data reuse isn't a sufficiently controversial framing, so a "genital inspection" angle is pushed instead by the author of the article.
For professional or top-tier competitive sports, virtually every sports organization has had rules in place to handle this for decades. The IOC has used testosterone levels as the barometer for fairness since 2003. The entire right-wing apparatus works by feigning ignorance, pretending nobody has ever thought about the fairness of trans folks in sports, all to infuriate easily suggestible rubes. It's beyond absurd.
Not to mention, I don’t even understand how these are substantiated. I clicked through to the source link for some of the results cited and they’re just results tables? What does that “prove” the athlete is trans? Who vets this stuff?
Polling shows that most people across the political spectrum would consider this a reasonable approach.
And then, the Republicans lose most of their attack lines on this topic, and the Democrats don't have to worry as much about having to defend foolish beliefs.
I don't disagree, fundamentally, but the voters are prioritizing minor issues that affect one in a million people over major issues that affect everyone. That's not good judgement, it's stupidity. It's why wedge issues work so well.