This is actually the most even-handed approach to transgender athletes in combat sports I've ever seen.

Holy shit a good take. I was genuinely worried for a second, I picked up this channel a few days ago and I'd been avoiding this one for a whole. But, again, holy shit a good take. Evenhanded, well thought out, empathetic and not sympathetic. Addressing realities but not catastriphizing or demeaning cis or trans women. You actually tried hard and thought a lot and in martial arts that's worth my weight in Astatine.

Having an open and women division is something we do in HEMA and I have argued it should be done in other sports for a while now. Also I have always been an advocate for harsher punishments for steroid use, I mean it could be argued that using steroids could be considered a form of assault.

I like the idea of dividing the sport into women's and open divisions a lot. Not only would it give trans athletes access to fighting without being misgendered, but it would also make my personal dreamfight of Chevchenko vs Cejudo finally come true.

The arguments are correct and the conclusions reasonable. What's weird though is that this is such a huge discussion when there have only been two transwomen ever to compete in MMA, while the much bigger issue is indeed PED usage and offenders getting only a slap on the wrist with a two year ban for their first offense (and not even their former official accomplishments removed like in other sports) or even less punishment when they have smart lawyers telling some picogram BS. Thanks for pointing out the hypocrisy.

Great point about the PED use and hypocritical approach, many of the same great points against one as there are the other.

isn't all of this just a glaring indictment of how dated and backwards gender-based divisions are and an argument that sports should be classified by weight and potentially a second category, or just open divisions?

You've had opinions about martial arts really smug that made me cringe. But this video changed my mind about trans athletes. This is very well researched, or rather it's the only one that noticed when research is cherry picked. I had no idea the bone density lost when getting of testosterone is maintained by estrogen, no one mentions that. The fact androginzation(can't spell it since I only heard the term) is something that isn't easily reversed is something also not pushed in these discussions, usually it's talk about testosterone alone. And you did a good job even talking about testosterone and where it does or does not count.

When I last saw this argument it was in the BJJ subreddit a few years ago. The OVERWHELMING majority of commenters were against trans women competing with cis women, but it's fair to say that the overwhelming majority of BJJ subredditors are men. The users who actually said they were women were largely in favour of competing against trans women, some were unsure, and one woman was against it. Women are the people who should be leading the debate on this issue because it is their health and the integrity of their division that is on the line. If women are happy to sacrifice fairness for inclusivity that is a decision for them to make. It is our job as men to elevate women's voices and otherwise take a back seat in this debate. Secondly, and in light of my previous statement, to directly rebut the main argument against trans women competing against cis women (increased muscle mass and bone density) I have two only words: Weight classes.

This is the most objective and unbiased view I have heard. I am proud of you.

And you have absolutely perfectly summarized my opinions regarding trans athletes in competition. Thank you.

I have been bingeing this channel all day. Every clip is really well explained and exceptionally nuanced. Great take on this and basically everything else.

To amend your first sentence, no one cares when transgender women fight, but people do make a fuss when they win. Lookin your way, Joe Rogan

This is easily the best analysis of this issue that I have heard, with good analogies to make your points. And your final point about the use of PEDs is spot on. If we should follow the science to judge the acceptability of trans women competing in female divisions, we should use that same lens everywhere else it is applicable, as well. Great video!

Dude, I'm so out of the loop I had to google wtf "cis" is.

I'm mtf, I agree with everything in this video tbh and you touched on it in a very respectful manner. I do wish I could compete but fairness matters, and no, there's no way i'd be competing men, i grew up as the smallest, shortest and youngest of 4 boys, and most men can absolutely destroy me, so I'll just stay a fan and supporter of women's MMA, i respect it too much to insist I get involved.

It’s not whether someone knows about fighting, it’s whether they know about biology and the physiology of trans people. We shouldn’t ask fighters, we should ask doctors (who know a bit about fighting)

Well thought through and surprisingly respectful from this channel. I am not sure exactly where I stand on this (and luckily I am not in a position where I will likely ever need an opinion on it), but certainly interesting to consider. I certainly like the idea of open division instead of mens division.

hey as a trans girl who did martial arts and knows how, lets say problematic, some people can be accepting people's gender identity i would like to say thank for the use of correct pronouns

I've been binging your channel and I'm super impressed. Not a single miss in all of your videos. Great stuff

Just wanna point that the research you provided says "In transgender women, only lumbar spine BMD seemed to be affected after CSHT. This evidence is of low to moderate quality as a result of the observational design of studies, small sample sizes, and variations in hormone therapy protocols." So there's a lot of other factors AND the only real thing is a change in lumbar spine bones...

That captain America metaphor was hilarious and awesome

Honestly there are so few trans athletes that giving them a medical checkup to say in which category they could compete is like, not a huge task

Absolutely spot-on. This is the most thorough stance I've come across. I've harbored many of these arguments, but you've nailed articulating them precisely.

Thumbs up... The main thing that always gets me about these discussions is how people just vaguely allude to how a man would compare to a woman without considering the bodily changes a transwoman on HRT goes through. It may still be unfair (and appears to be based on current science), but most people aren't capable of addressing it honestly. You went so far as to use a bunch of science terms to show that you've done more work than the average person... BY FAR

Honestly I do feel like TJ should’ve been permanently banned from the sport. Too many steroid abusers get off way too easy. We need to start making examples out of certain athletes or we’re not going to get anywhere.

I was a handball player at a subteam of Barcelona pre-transition. i left any form of sport for about 5 years, and started (medical) transition about 3 years ago. After suffering two physical aggressions i started doing brazilian jiu jitsu and boxing at a mix-gender team.i think you miss something: training practices My bodymass and bone density is higher than most cis woman and that can be an advantage, in competition, but i have literaly 0 stamina and its super hard to recover it, as my body is heavier i need more stamina for everything. (i can send you data that shows how cell regeneration and stamina regeneration is linked with testosterone if you want it) So most of the times i have to spend half of the training time resting (i'm doing like 20h/week training that translates to 10h/week of actual training) transition reduces the stamina pool and slows the stamina regeneration. most of cis girls in both bjj and boxing beat me up easy, and absolutly every guy does.

“I don’t get to compete (in basketball) against middle schoolers just because I’m terrible.” This is maybe the best argument on this subject that I’ve heard. On the PED issue, while needing further scrutiny, I don’t know that PEDs give the same level of advantage that being born male does. Excellent video, this is a touchy subject to say the least, and it’s not only courageous of you to tackle it, you do so with reason and tact. Good job

People on the other side argue that transition massively reduces performance in atheletes who previously competed as men, which is true but irrelevant. Those women moved TOWARDS female range but did not achieve it. There is some (very limited) science that suggests a trans woman who has been consistent about HRT might no longer have a significant advantage after 30 years...so 30 years after transition, go for it 🤷. I have a trans friend who angrily argues transwomen shoukd be completely free to compete with men, but also told me herslef that any time she wants a little muscle all she has to do is skip her pills for a few days and she "blows up" with minimal effort in the gym (she's not an athelete)...I doubt there is any way anyone would know she did that. Literally every trans woman has the ability to just forget a pill and effectively be experiencing an additional MASSIVE dose of PEDs.

I was dubious stepping into this video, but by the end I was in total alignment.

Even though I am overall very pro trans rights, it's nice to see a take that is against trans women competing with cis women which is not based on blatant transphobia, but actual scientific evidence. I can respect that. I'm curious how do you feel about trans men though. Would they get to compete in the open division or the "women's" division?

Great suggestion about the introduction of an open division - I've been saying this for about 3 years now. Great to see the idea being propagated.

Sanest video I have seen on the topic yet.

This was so well researched and worded. Kudos!

Glad to know, I, as a trans woman, am literally god in terms of bone & muscle density

This youtube chanel is fire. Binging videos rn

this was a great discussion with a lot of science i wasn't aware of (such as the long term impact of testosterone even after levels have been dropped), I still don't have a well-considered opinion for trans women competing in cis women's sports division in general yet, but in combat sports it just seems not just unfair but very dangerous. I need to take some time to read the arguments from the other side, but that's def the way i lean right now.

This was super interesting, I love these sport/ sciencey topics.❤️ We might have to get you Houston Jones's sleeveless-lab coat👍

I'm a trans woman, I'm working hard in my BJJ classes. I'm just trying to learn and grow for my own sake. I felt this was a pretty nuanced and respectful take. I appreciated it.

Probably the most comprehensive and well thought out video that I’ve seen on this topic.

This is the best and most complete explanation I´ve seen until now. Not just explains correctly why it is unfair, but gives a solution, that I think would be the most fair and acceptable for everyone.

Your open division/restricted division is a really unique and fair approach. I think that’s the way to go as well.

Im so glad you actually thought up of a solution at the end, great and productive video!

The T level and athleticism arguement reminds me of when I heard that 2x heavyweight champ frank mir suffers from low testosterone. I wonder how he’d do in the womens division 🤣

This is unironically the most respectful take I've seen from a martial arts channel on this issue. Just the fact that you don't misgender transwomen and aren't a transphobe already makes this video a huge breath of fresh air. 🙂

Completely off topic, but I have a question regarding the insane domination we’ve seen from Dagestan/Chechnya based sambo fighters, even against people with wrestling/Jiu Jitsu backgrounds. What would be the strategies/techniques you would recommend/implement to tackle Dagestani-style sambo grappling in a mma match?

The message at the end got me laughing 😂😂😂

Now I know where the sci-fi trope of de powered metahumans still having partial superhuman strength comes from

And yet neither of those women were particularly dominant.

I feel like I watched a More Plates More Dates video with all this hormone talk. I dig your solution to the problem though, different take on it than normal.

I've been saying for a while now that unisex/open divisions are the only ideal solution I can think of for accommodating trans and non-binary athletes across a vast majority of sports. I'm heavily in favor of anyone competing in anything they want, and expressing themselves however they want, in a fair and sporting manner. Trans athletes, I believe, are treated unequally NOT because of trans issues, but because of logistical issues. Statistically, trans people, and specifically trans athletes, are one of the smallest minorities in the world by percentage of population in the US, trying to accommodate them in a way that maintains a healthy competitive atmosphere, while minimizing the odds of increasing trans and cis tensions has gone generally horribly across the board so far- But there is a way, and I think this is it, it's our best option for keeping competitions fair, and preventing unnecessary animosity from being targeted at trans people. Whether the big corporations responsible for hosting these sports will actually make that change, or do so in a way that doesn't make things drastically worse before they get better, I seriously doubt it. In a world where Dana White allows Jon Jones to continue fighting, I will continue to seriously doubt the integrity of American MMA. Since it's repeatedly shown that it cares more about using controversy as a ticket selling tactic, than it does about good competition. Great video once again, as I continue making my way through your back log-

I'm interested in the idea of a restricted verses open division. It'd probably be somewhat complicated to set up exactly what requirements are needed to qualify for the open one, but I think it might be worth doing. Besides offer a plan for trans athletes to compete, but also answer some question about intersex athletes. I'm not by any means an expert on the issue, but their sometimes seems to be legitimate concern that these biological differences can give unfair advantages. Having something like and open division could allow for those athletes to compete without anyone questioning their legitimacy. This of course depends a lot on how you create the requirements for these divisions. Mainly that you need to base it on hard sciences, not assumptions. But it sounds doable.

So... an open division and an XX-division. That way it's not a gender divide at all. Or am I missing something?

7:36 a bunch of stuff on that list makes for a pretty strong argument against allowing weight cutting also.

Cringed hard when I saw the title but ended it nodding my head. You made a lot of good sense imo.

This topic is annoying because it requires simultaneous knowledge of biology, psychology, and martial arts, but the loudest parts on both sides just argue with pure self-righteous rage.

This nigga spittin to be honest. Good video and best discussion I’ve heard

Love the idea of the open division!

love the no BS no nonsense approach. Common sense isn't common anymore..

Rightly said. Weird how this obvious fact needs to be said out loud let alone be argued with.

Would like to hear you have a conversation with Transatlantic (part of The Line channel). I was fairly convinced by some of the arguments you mention until I heard some conversations there. They are very patient with language and disagreements, so I think you could possibly even move each other’s opinions.

Im trans female. I prefer to fight against men because a knockout is a knockout, and nobody can take that away for any reason. 😊 Thanks for the scientifically PERFECT and respectful way you handled this. ❤

That was surprisingly balanced. Good job.

I like the open division idea. As for the physiological studies, one thing that's always left lingering in my head is what a cohort study between cis athletes of both sexes would reveal. Given that men are generally more socialized around the expectation to build and maintain muscle, I wonder if those differences are as pronounced in populations of men and women who both are active in the same sport, or if they become more normalized through regular training.

first things first, thanks for approaching the topic in a respectful tone, since it's unfortunately uncommon. yapping ahead alert the sad thing about people who want to push trans people out of combat sports is that we are targeted by violence constantly and in the end we're humans like everyone else and just want learn how to defend ourselves while exercising, having fun and making friends. i'm going to give my own story as an example: i am a transgender man i started muay thai and bjj when i was 16 years old (around 2016) - when i used to live as a cis girl - bc i wanted to learn how to defend myself against bullies and harassers. i ended up falling in love with combat sports, went to the gym almost every day and gave my all, but once i realized that i am a trans man (august 2017, to be exact) i couldn't fight or deny it, so i embraced my truth. since then i feel like myself, not like an actor filling up a role 24/7. but it all happened right when the "should trans people be allowed to compete in any sports at all" discourse was beginning to rise, tbh i felt intimidated and afraid of being rejected by my own gym mates, so i quit. i regret it because the years where i didn't train will never come back, i could have improved so much more if i kept training. i also felt sad bc i always wanted to compete at least once or twice to test myself. but anyways, life went on some years passed and i went back to the same gym to lift weights bc my doctor told me so. mind you - even though i am on T, have a beard and do not look like a girl at all, everyone knew i was trans simply because i live in a small town, lots of ppl i know train there and well... i used to train there before lmao. i got bored of lifting weights and got back to muay thai, and everyone was friendly and respectful. and let me tell you something? one of the most validating times for me was when i was sparring and got hit FOR REAL by another guy for the first time, since sparring between two men and a woman and a man are different situations. i got on a hiatus again bc i got injured, didn't know if i wanted to go back to muay thai bc of that and tbh i was too broke to buy a gi and go back to bjj then last week i got assaulted by a group of bigots who have been terrorizing the lgbt community in my city (i know this wasn't a random attack, i wasn't the only victim this month). thank G'd that i am alive and recovering but that was my last straw. i HAVE to train, no excuses, no fucks given to any non-constructive criticism or hate or to discourse. just go to the gym, listen to my coach, learn with my fellow gym mates, spar as much as i can and that's it. idgaf about anyone's opinions about my identity, i just wanna be the best fighter that i can possibly be so i can defend myself and my loved ones from scumbags. but... i still think that we all should be allowed to compete fairly because that's how we really challenge ourselves and test our progress as fighters, there's a gap between training to spar and training to compete when you're both willing to knock your opponent out and/or make them tap. the hardest punches i took in sparring do not compare to the ones i took in the street that day at all we gotta find a solution that is fair to cis and trans athletes alike. i am a trans dude and i wouldn't mind competing in my weight category at the men's division, bc i train with cis dudes anyway and y'all are the majority. and since i am not a trans woman idk how it goes for them and their cis counterparts, it's a topic where i am not informed enough to give an opinion BUT i think we all should put bigotry and prejudices aside, have a seat at the table and find out a solution that's fair and respectful to everyone. anyways, if anyone managed to read all of this... thanks i guess lmao. it's so difficult to find places where i feel comfortable to discuss all that stuff but since my incident happened i've been needing to get all of this of my chest and i stumbled on this video by chance. i hope the discussion can move forwards and not backwards, and maybe that my personal experience gave some insight on a trans person's experience in combat sports.

I have no idea if any other commenters are trans women and martial artists, I didn't see any state so, but I am! Thanks for starting the discussion, it's not an easy topic to discuss especially since data is lacking and research is inconsistent. The difficult truth to accept is that puberty, genes, and transition are so different for every one, and trans women are such a tiny fraction of the population, that aggregate data on the issue is likely never going to lead to any statistically significant findings. And what this means, unfortunately for both sides, is that fairness can only really be determined on an individual level. To be completely honest, I think the fairest solution would include lots of testing and some trans women would compete with men and some would compete with women. I'm not a medical professional so I'm not going to pretend which tests need to be done to determine which category someone like me should fight in, but I'd take the tests and I'd fight folks that medical professionals tell me are fair to fight.

In my HEMA group we have Open and Women’s divisions.

I appreciate you handling this subject with both nuance and respect

straight up as a trans woman interested in mma, i havent actually figured out where i stand on this topic, and you raise a lot of really interesting points while being extremely respectful and considerate. not a lot of people can do that. lots to think about here. it's unfortunate that andronyzation [sp?] is a one way street, a lot of our issues would iron out smooth if it were reversible haha. my gut instinct is to say that since sports is already a "selecting for the most physically capable individual" game, we shouldn't single out a certain demographic for being too physically capable, but at the same time i can't think of a better solution than what you proposed, and i also haven't heard any other compelling middle-ground arguments between "trans women can never compete" and "trans women must be able to compete in women's divisions" there's always a lot of controversy when a trans female athlete wins a competition, but i've always heard it from the perspective of "her performance is very similar to cis female athletes in her sport." difficult to test that in martial arts of any kind though. obviously i'd like to see trans women included in women's spaces but combat sports is an especially thorny subject. once again, thanks for the measured and respectful vid

Why has KZfaq turned off subtitles/closed-caption for this video I wonder

not saying you did a bad job, i think you did very well at trying to be fair to trans people's feelings while adressing a sensitive topic, but god is it tiring. The whole debate is keeping me from going anywhere near martial arts spaces and sports in general. too scared someones just gonna assume the worst of my intentions and have a problem with me and it's just not an attractive idea to surround myself with men who are bigger than me and know how to fight way better than me and also don't like me and then invite them to punch me in the face. it sucks, i don't have a solution and i think that feels the worst. just feels like a world i can't access now and it makes me sad.

Hello , Just started watching your channel not too long ago, love it and show it to my fighters. We are a Fem/Womens steel fighting Team in Las Vegas , In the ACS League (Armored combat sports) It is always a hot button issue, and i do think you tried and in many ways succeeded to be very fair about this, which shows in your bringing up of PEDs. Because as you illuded to there are MANY MANY in the mens divisions of many fight sports that use them. In our sport for instance it is said that 90% of the Male fighters are on PEDs. Whether by a doctor through seedier sources, but the fact remains. This is however a sport that allows Transwomen (in this league spacifically[Was a big reason the ACL{armored combat league} became the ACS and the ACW{Armored combat sports worldwide} divided was over this issue) as long as the women are within that hormone threshold you talked about. The Flase equvilancy comes in the form of thinking that the 'Lasting gains will give the trans fighter the unfair advantage.' is an older argument how ever i will concede i have never seein it explained as thoroughly and thoughtful as you had. i do still disagree on parts because for example as we dont have many examples for trans fighters as you mentioned. we can still look at them, So ill talk about one whom i know through a friend who trains with her. Fallon Fox . She has a record of 5-1 professionally with 3 of those wins and one of those losses being by way of knockout . Which on paper sounds like holy shit yep dominating girls out here. First fight against but what about the strength of her compettion 1st win Elisha Helsper OPP rec. 0-4 2nd win Ericka Newsome OPP rec 0-2 3rd win Allana Jones OPP rec 2-8 1st loss Ashley Evans Smith Opp Rec 6-5 4th win Heather Basset Opp Rec 4-4 5th Win Timmika Brents Opp Rec 2-4 combine W/L of OPP : 14/27 In fact this is what Dana Said about fallon (sorry for the Misgendering trans peeps) "So before you even think about fighting in the UFC or whatever - he was a man and now he's a woman - he's fighting girls who have losing records. Before you get too crazy about him being in the UFC, he's so freaking far from being in the UFC that it's not even funny." Basically saying that they havent fought (at that point 2-0) anyone worth getting Fox into the UFC. Does this mean these women are trash ? No, in fact the first woman on the OPP list Elisha Helsper took second in a 2010 National guard Combatitves tournament as the only female so shes beat men, so a trans woman on HRT shouldnt have been overwhelming. I just think this speaks to the false equvilency that Cis men and transwomen are going to have such a genetic advantage they would clearly dominate all cis women around them by virtue of once having T and the accompanying androgynizing effects. Other examples can be used to the same degree of Trans Athletes in other sports like weight lifting where these "genetic advantages" should help the trans athelets cruise past their competition and yet fail to even place. But when evidence like this is show it is hand waived as (shes doing it so other trans people can compete). Which really gets to the whole center point which is honestly and i say this as a Trans Athlete who has been in love with combat sports my whole life. (only started training BJJ and Muay Thai after i transitioned ) i was however in the military (USMC) and wrestled in HS. I think men have had access to these spaces more (fight spaces) in general , and that not until the last decade or so has womens fighting gotten to a point where there are very very serious womens fighters , trainers and programs. Fight game in many ways has been a boys club for quite a while and luckily a lot of that is starting to change, unfortunatly for LGBT activists this isnt quantifible. So why bring it up? Because science especially in sports medicine still tend to have some biasis in them and where conducted quite awhile ago, and newer reports seemingly starting to come up that refute some older arguments against trans people.One of which you already touched on about the T levels not being as important in the current when talking about competitive advantage. And i do think it is time for new studies cause you are right if youre 100% in the trans athletes should compete 100% no problem no matter what you admit its not about the science at all. But i would argue that it is a mixed bag at best no matter what the intentions . So with the Fight game changing and more and more kinds of people wanting fight more and more aspects will get studied , and with how in the forefront this topic is , we will know more in the next ten years hopefully or everyone will go back to pretending like womens sports didnt exist as they do now until a transwoman gets involved. (This also i think thankfully is starting to slowly change) I hope i dont get blocked i love your content and not arguing more just adding more or alternative insight to the convo ? idk either way i was ready to go oh god insert eyeroll especially cause of the # but i will say i do like this approach and know you are acting or at least appear to be acting in good faith. In any case i just wanted to thank you if you even end up reading this for taking the time to do so . I also admit that as a transperson and athlete it is infinatly harder for me to be objective in issues like this with as muddy as the waters have become lately, but i have tried and hope i got close at least.

I have a massive problem with low testosterone athletes competing at the top level argument. I strongly believe that epidemiological study is heavy skewed by off cycles TRT athletes, which many UFC and pro-athletes are on.

I'm trans and I found this really interesting and on the nose. I've been wanting an open division for some time, and I feel that's one of the few solutions that truly is inclusive of everyone. Even besides trans athletes there is the reality that at least some % are intersex, and using stringently gender-based & biological criteria will inevitably cause some kind of issue unless it's addressed. I appreciate your candid style.

Thank you for this considered and nuanced discussion.

Awesome explanation! Thank you! HEMA does have open devision (BTY) where everyone can compete :)

"I would probably die" 🤣👍🏽

I've never thought about changing the mens division to an open division. I always thought of making a third division which is open but your way makes more sense. Also. Who thinks Amanda nunes would be top 5 in the open bantam weight division?

I am a trans woman and I hate this lol. I have to choose between fighting (my only passion) and transitioning and being happy outside of that. It fucking sucks.

An open division where anyone can fight would be interesting

Awe. Loving the nerdom of this discussion.

I've always been a proponent of open divisions in addition to restricted ones. The positions in this video are quite refreshing to hear. We can acknowledge the legitimate reasons for split divisions (such as weightclasses or sex dimorphism) for the sake of fair competition without applying a double standard. I dislike the framing of 'trans-women shouldn't fight cis women' or 'biological men shouldn't fight biological women'. The biggest issue I see is removing the autonomy of the fighters in 1. knowing what they're stepping into and who they're fighting 2. denying them opportunities to compete Most people I know don't have a problem with the crazy K1 mixed weight fights like Kaoklai vs Mighty Mo where the fighters in question are such huge differences in weightclass no one would call it a 'fair fight' on paper. Yet both fighters are presumably consenting and know who they're fighting.

I'm surprised open division fights aren't more common, I understand that weight classes are somewhat for the safety of the fighters (Nobody wants to see a flyweight get hit by heavyweight) But open divisions would see a whole new world of combat sports IMO, tactics would have to evolve and I'd like to see the plans brought to it Oh man that be "polite about it" was aggressive lol

4:28. The Captain America argument is solid.

As a trans myself I had this question and I understand biology and I want to have fair competition without being miss gingered as a guy. HEMA (Historical European Martial Arts) Does things a little different and I would com to the same conclusion on wanting a trans division. But by watching this video and open divisions would just be so much better and I 100% agree. We cant argue about science, only come to a better understanding. Its hard to decide if I want to transitions because I would love to compete in MMA because of doing 3+ years of combat sports and I would love to test out my skills to see if they can pay the bills. This video helped me better understand on how to push for an MMA mach or at least better understand on what I can do for the future for Trans people that's in the same bout as me.

I know this is a very serious topic but I was entirely distracted by the Batman shirt the entire time

I think your idea is good, it's kinda like how some sports have an open wheight class.

5:00 isnt having a higher center of mass generally a disadvantage? I heard that was the case in HEMA at least

i like the even handed take (coming from a trans woman), only thing i have to say is that hrt has made it very hard for me to regain any muscle i lost, but im not a sample size just one individual and not an athlete at that so take it with a grain of salt.

Yo where do you get your sweet Batman tee’s?

Honestly I can't make an opinion about that matter. My first idea would be to let anyone fight who they want as long as everybody is informed of all the parameters and aware of the risks. But it raises ethic questions.

Really informative video. Thanks for creating it.

If we see trans women enter women's mma and consistently have significantly above average win/loss ratios I'll consider arguments that it's unfair. And we're only going to get that data by letting them compete. Let trans women fight in women's divisions. If we start seeing trans women dominating women's divisions all over the place then we can have that conversation but we can't see those results without letting them in and seeing what happens.

Makes me think of an episode in the Ghost In the Shell Standalone Complex anime. In this future the Paralympics has become the big event with all the press and and commercials and big paydays. Whereas the regular Olympics where the athletes are completely unmodified is a small event for retro nerds.

Captain Americas super soldier serum doesn't actually get metabolized away i don't remember in exactly what comic this was mentioned in but it was stated that the serum has a way of replenishing itself in Steve's bloodstream

Even if I disagree with some of the major points, like the statement that an unassailable burden of proof is still what is needed for this to be sufficient (I would argue in any sense that is inherently contradictory if you genuinely want to avoid persecution), I can give you credit for genuinely engaging with the topic in good faith and discussing it in a way where you don't allow for transphobia. So subbing out of respect for that and for your video on dirty fighting I saw recently, good job. Though the point of androgenization and secondary characteristics is important and I would agree, I think that the burden of proof being on transwomen essentially guarantees they cannot compete due to the fact they are statistically at financial disadvantage to almost any other group and unless scientists decided to do free extensive testing on them prior to competition, all this means is that only rich trans women will even get the chance at evaluation. If you in turn put the onus for such testing on the organization, they are financially inclined towards admitting as few trans women as possible to avoid paying, thereby creating a very similar problem. Now, obviously that means I'm arguing for an intersectional approach to the issue rather than approaching it via isolating the logic of the sport's criteria, and you can disagree with that premise. But ultimately, as much as we have rules, the chance to reevaluate them does not mean the collapse of the sport. I think it's worth reexamining some of the divisions we set up in competitive combat sporting rather than assuming outright that we must maintain the current status quo. Assuming that the first rules are the most valid because we've used them so far is inherently kind of fallacious. The argument that the current system of division must be maintained because "it's fair" assumes that there are not already holes in the ways we organize these divisions. Just something to think about.

I actually love this video. It addresses the problems with the physical differences between men and women, and proposes an obvious and clean solution to the problems that doesnt discriminate against trans people(transfolk? transmen and women?) thumbs up for that.

Open Division sound like the best option to me.

Many things you listed change with HRT like vo2 max and hemoglobin levels significantly, it's not just T levels. Reduced oxygen transport would seem to make having a larger heart more of a disadvantage and possibly why trans women have heart attacks at higher rates. On average, trans women have larger frames, but on HRT they are being powered with less muscle mass and oxygen transport. Bone density also widely varies between races as well which isn't seen as an issue. The average African woman for example have about the same bone density as the average white man. Age is also a factor. HRT will eventually make trans women just as susceptible to osteoporosis as a cis woman (especially in the lumbar and spine). Skin toughness is also reduced. Body mass and muscle strength does seem to remain above that of a cis women for a while however it's not 100% that muscle strength remains this way. Many studies only looked at muscle strength for around 3 years but some longer term studies (Muscle Strength in Transgender Women After Long-Term Hormone Therapy: A Cross-Sectional Study ) show muscle strength eventually drops to that of a cis women's. Trans Women do likely have advantages, however people completely ignore or underestimate the disadvantages as well. The Olympics has allowed trans people to compete since 2004. It doesn't seem to be a problem. They aren't superhumans that dominate every single competition, since most can't even qualify. So I'm not fully convinced any advantage is significant anymore than what already exists.

Wow, this was an evidence bas d but compassionate reasonable take. I am convinced, this is the correct and moral path forward.