Dina’s Diner 11/16/20

A COMPETITION FOR OUR MINDS

Newsweek magazine had a point-counterpoint debate about transgender athletes in the online edition on October 20, 2020. The opposing debaters were to answer Newsweek’s question Do Transgender Athletes Threaten Women’s Sports? Taking the “yes” position was Abigail Shrier and taking the “no” pro-trans position was Juliet Jacques.

A trans wrestler at work.

It’s a debate that’s raged more heatedly for several years as more trans athletes come on the scene. The original case was Renee Richards in the 1970s who wished to continue a professional tennis career after her transition. Ms. Richards was not a top-rated player and when she was allowed to compete did not make any impact on women’s tennis. The issue kind of left the public consciousness until the 2000s.

Abigail Shrier makes her case by citing some interesting statistics about track times for Olympic women athletes and ordinary high school boys whose performances outstrip the women. She cites a website for the data and reports, “In the 100-meter, the 200-meter, the 400-meter and 800-meter races, the male high school players handily dominate the female Olympians, claiming all the top spots. Most significantly, as the website explains: “None of the women’s finals performances met the qualifying time to enter the boys’ competition.” She also writes, “Consider Allyson Felix, a contender for the title of fastest female sprinter in the world, who holds more Olympic medals than even Usain Bolt. Her lifetime best for the 400-meter is 49.26 seconds. Based on 2018 data, nearly 300 high school boys in the U.S. alone could beat it.”

She makes the case that the most profound damage would be done at the youngest levels of girls’ sports if “boys” are allowed to compete. Chances to make the team, compete on a fair level, win scholarships or other awards would be endangered for girls going up against physically superior trans athletes. The most obvious weakness in this case is that male athletes are not going to flood girls’ sports as “trans” when they are not truly trans.

Juliet Jacques is a trans person herself and competed in soccer as a male and after her transition albeit at an older age. She said that in team sports, the major advantage for trans athletes is not in any physical measure but the fact that boys are brought up in a sports culture and receive more playing opportunity, training, and coaching than girls usually do. I suspect a dynamic that is changing as more and more girls are engaged in sports from earlier ages than in the past.

Juliet cites this as an evolutionary step that should help iron the problem out in the future. “This will continue to improve standards and change perceptions, gradually leveling out the inequalities that lead some commentators to identify trans women as a threat. The International Olympic Committee, and other sporting bodies that take the IOC’s lead, should continue to assess on a case-by-case basis—and perhaps draw up firmer guidelines where necessary, working with endocrinologists and other experts.”

Caster Semenya

She makes an ominous point when she brings up the case of female track star Caster Semenya whom a Swiss court said should lower her testosterone levels “through medication or surgery.” Semenya is not a trans person. She is a female who simply has an unusually high level of testosterone in her system. Juliet Jacques warns of “the rise of an international far Right that is, among other things, making efforts to rehabilitate eugenics.” She cites some comments that suggest “an extreme but predictable conclusion that there are objective qualitative standards for how human bodies should look and behave, and deviations should be suppressed.”

That’s some heavy stuff. The sad part is it could very well be true as many people (in Europe and the U.S.) take on previously dormant, unspoken ideas about nationalism, race relations, anti-immigration policies and, yes, against transgender progress.

HONEY, I’M HOME AND I’M FABULOUS!

While digging around in the back of the storeroom here at the Diner I came across an old article headlined Japan Slowly Begins to Openly Discuss Crossdressing Men in Heterosexual Relationships. The article appeared back in June 2014 on the SoraNews24.com website.

Which lady is which?

The article acknowledges that stories of gender bending are “long-time staples of Japanese anime and manga, but also of TV and celebrity culture. From this, anyone would think that Japan was one of the most open and accepting countries when it comes to people who don’t fit into traditional gender roles or relationships.” There is a sizable “but” in the Japanese cultural acceptance of crossdressing or trans characters. Gender play is fine in a comic book or television show but not so much in work or the home. At the time the article was written, though, an upsurge in positive feeling for men who can step out of the confines of the masculine psyche was being detected.

Here is a fun fact from the article you can use to impress your friends: “Terms such as transgendered and transvestite have loaded meanings in English that don’t always correlate with Japanese views, so in this case we’ll be using the Japanese term otoko no ko. The terms otoko no ko and josoushi are used to describe a man who dresses like, and sometimes also lives like, a woman. Otoko no ko has the same reading as the word for ‘boy’, but in this case the final kanji character is replaced with the one for ‘daughter’ which changes the meaning.”

One of the interview subjects mentioned the crossdressing salons that started opening up circa 2009 as an indication that societal acceptance was coming along. Unfortunately, the article sort of devolved into clichés when it mentions that wives and girlfriends would welcome a man who is softer in his feelings and attitudes – and that the ladies might even enjoy dressing their men up as “dolls.” That viewpoint is also sexist against women as though they have “softer” constitutions and like playing with dolls – even if they are their significant others.

I hope those viewpoints have changed since 2014 regarding both crossdressing and women.

REPORTING FOR SERVICE

I came across an older article from the SoraNews24 website about the military draft in Thailand. The original post was dated April 15, 2015 and was headlined Beautiful Soldiers: This is What Conscription Looks Like for Thailand’s Trans Women.

A kathoey attending the draft procedure.

The article began, “Like many countries, Thailand’s military has conscription by way of a lottery. Draft day is held each April, around the time of the traditional New Year, and all men over 21 — even those who no longer consider themselves to be male — are required to attend the conscription lottery once. Thailand is widely considered the trans capital of the world, and more gender reassignment surgery takes place there than in any other country. So Thailand’s unusually high number of trans females (kathoey or ladyboys) makes this conscription process somewhat unique.”

At the time the original article was published, Thailand did not allow a change to gender identification so all trans women were considered to be men for the military draft. I found an article from a local Thai news source that showed the practice is still in place as recently as August of 2020. In that article, a local organization was helping trans women prepare for the draft process and evaluation.

The good news is that “In practice, kathoey ladyboys are almost always exempted from military service — but they are still required to attend the lottery” according to the Sora article. However, it continued, “For many kathoey, draft day is a humiliating experience as they are expected to prove their ineligibility for military service. The draft is open to the public, and one kathoey told of people climbing up to the second floor to look down at trans women undressing for medical examinations.” The article had photos of single kathoey sitting in a room of young men on draft day. One of the social workers who assist kathoey through the process said, “The annual procession of a few women born as men showing up at the conscription always causes a sideshow with lookie-looks and tabloid photographers gawking.”

Which proves that every man likes to look at beautiful women whether they are Kate, Kristen or Kathoey.

LEGGING IT TO WORK

Here’s a story about a guy living a crossdresser’s dream. Sort of. The article I saw on The New York Post’s website was headlined Married Father of 3 Wears Skirts and High Heels to Work Because He Can. The item appeared on October 19, 2020.

Mark Bryan

The fellow in question is named Mark Bryan, an American living and working in Germany. “I am just a straight, happily married guy,” he wrote to his 62,000 Instagram followers, “that loves Porsche’s, beautiful women and incorporating high heels and skirts into my daily wardrobe.” Mr. Bryan is 61 and a robotics engineer. As the accompanying photo shows, he focuses solely on below-the-waist crossdressing.

He told his interviewer, “I wear almost exclusively pencil skirts and stiletto heels. I don’t wear dresses as that is not my style, which is presenting as the man above the waist, with non-gendered clothing below the waist. I prefer my skirts at the knee plus or minus an inch or two. My average heel height for a week is around 4 inches.” Elsewhere, he said he is 6’ tall, only 165 lbs and has a 29 inch waist. His Instagram page has plenty of photos of various ensembles.

He was adamant in another interview that there was no sexual element to his mixed gender dressing. He said he always admired the sleek style on women and decided at some point to adopt the skirt and heels look with an otherwise masculine appearance.

Every once in a while, a story about a fellow like Mark who likes high heels in public bubbles up. It’s not my thing but we should be the last to judge harshly, I guess. Walk tall, man.

THE POWERBALL PICKED A WINNER

Laura W. Johnson

I don’t play the lottery — even when it gets into giant amounts of money — but every so often I see the Powerball drawing. The Powerball drawing hostess (apparently there’s a fellow who does it also) is an energetic, wide-smiled woman named Laura W. Johnson.

I was immediately taken with Ms. Johnson. She fits into that category of female I find attractive: not classically beautiful, and whose quirky personality promises intelligence and good humor with a lot of laughs.

Laura W. Johnson is a professional commercial actress and some of her portfolio of videos are on YouTube. Judging by the more down-to-earth performances for commercial pitches, the Powerball broadcasts may be a bit of performance art by Laura. She plays it over-the-top with a squeaky (maybe her natural?) voice, sweeping arm gestures, and a madcap toothy smile at all times. In fact, it reminds me of Vanessa Bayer’s ditzy weathercaster from Saturday Night Live several seasons ago. But that’s okay because I like Vanessa Bayer a lot, too.

I will never win the Powerball drawing. I wish I could win the Powerball hostess, though.

Tags: crossdressing, featured, opinion, Transgender

Category: Transgender Fun & Entertainment, Transgender Opinion