To the Editor
Re “Much Debate but Little Dialogue on Transgender Female Athletes” (front page, May 29):
Transgender people are not allowed to participate in sport, and this is a problem for all women and girls. Athletes are not just the bodies, hormones, and sex they were given at birth. The best predictor of success is proximity to coaches, facilities and parents with money or time.
The International Olympic Committee, in consultation with leading experts in medicine and athletics, has released new guidelines last year stating that there should never be an assumed advantage due sex variations, physical appearance, or transgender status.
Lia Thomas complied with all rules to compete, as trans-athletes have done for decades. Her success has not imperiled women’s sports or Title IX. Threats to women’s sports include lack of resources, unequal pay, abusive coaches and doctors, and limited media coverage.
Trans people should be included and welcomed wherever they are, and we must stop demonizing them for the sake of protecting women. Everyone wins when all are welcomed.
Anna Baeth
New York
The writer is the director of research at Athlete Aly, which aims end homophobia and transphobia in sports.
To the Editor
I am a 1968 Olympian. The appalling and callous disregard for the rights of biological females perpetrated by such entities as the A.C.L.U., the N.C.A.A., Ivy League universities and others will destroy the gains we have fought for in women’s sports.
Even our politicians are trying to pass a so called Equality Act, which would allow trans male to female athletes to compete against biological women.
Many Olympians who are aspiring would be denied a spot on a team by a transwoman like Lia Thomas. I am not, as they call it, a “TERF” (trans-exclusionary radical feminist), nor are most who are demanding fairness for biological women in sports and other spaces women need to have for themselves.
It is not unusual to insist on science and common sense in fairness to biological girls as well as women in sport.
Francie Kraker Goodridge
Pinckney, Mich.
To the Editor
Gender advantage is a subjective matter that varies from one sport to the next. Thus, the International Olympic Committee’s recent decision to allow individual sport associations to determine policy is clearly more appropriate than a universal policy.
Myron Genel
Woodbridge, Conn.
The International Olympic Committee has had the writer as an advisor, as a professor emeritus of pediatrics at Yale University School of Medicine.
To the Editor
I admire the courage of trans athletes who bravely compete in venues where they are not welcome. However, there is precedent for handicapping players other than golf. Mountain bike races are separated by weight and age to give everyone a chance to win.
There is nothing new in categorizing competitions to consider the advantages of gender, age, etc. Perhaps as people who are transgender feel more accepted and are treated with more respect, the thought of this handicap won’t feel so much like an insult.
Margaret Flaherty
Berkeley, Calif.
A Homeowner Speaks Out
To the Editor
Re “Not in Her Backyard” (Sunday Business, June 5):
Your story about “NIMBYism” notes that active homeowners reject the epithet. I agree. We are stakeholders. We ask questions when we are confronted with zoning changes.
Is the variance or zoning modification justified? Who will be displaced What’s the effect on traffic and the environment? What improvements are needed to roads, sidewalks and schools to support this change? How will the city/county/state ensure compliance with the waiver/regulation?
We often get bogus assurances by under-resourced agencies that fail to enforce existing regulations. This is why we are often in trouble. Homeowners pay taxes and put their money and sweat equity into the maintenance of what is often our most valuable asset. Yes, we help start libraries programs, organize block parties and make a difference in our communities.
It is ironic and infuriating that the same pious folks who delicately refer to homeless people as “the unhoused” are so ready to vilify stakeholders with legitimate concerns as NIMBYs and so quick to dismiss their civic engagement as NIMBYism.
Shelley Wagers
Los Angeles
Happily married and unhappy marriages
To the Editor
Re “I Married the Wrong Person, and I’m So Glad I Did,” by Tish Harrison Warren (Opinion, nytimes.com, June 5):
Although I enjoyed this thoughtful piece, I have to disagree with several points as a couple therapist. Research shows that divorce is not caused by a desire to live a fulfilled life or seek more happiness, but rather conflict and a lack of commitment.
Research that is more recent than the one cited in the article has shown that divorced women are happier than their husbands. My practice sees many couples who struggle to make the decision to divorce, even though it is in their best interests.
Shifting gender norms and expectation, and the fact more women have the financial ability to leave unhappy relationships behind are two reasons marriage is changing.
As someone who has been married for many years, I can agree with Ms. Warren. A loving and imperfect marriage is a source of personal growth and rewards. However, it is perfectly acceptable to end a bad relationship for personal happiness. We’re lucky to live in an era when it’s acceptable to do so.
Tonya Lester
Brooklyn
Source: NY Times
