Culture Study Podcast

Women's Sports and Gender Panic

Nov 13, 2024

Rose Eveleth, the host of the Tested Podcast, dives deep into the controversial world of gender verification in women’s sports. She challenges the transphobic narratives surrounding participation and highlights historical struggles faced by female athletes. The discussion reveals how fairness in sports is often misunderstood, focusing on the unique challenges transgender athletes encounter. Eveleth also examines how societal perceptions impact athletes with disabilities, and the ongoing need for inclusivity and equity across all levels of competition.

51:39

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Episode guests

Rose Eveleth

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

The podcast critiques the public discourse around women's sports and gender, highlighting pervasive transphobia and misconceptions about fairness.

It examines the historical context of gender verification policies in sports, revealing how societal attitudes toward femininity and gender have evolved over time.

Contrasting the rigid gender barriers in the Olympics, the Paralympics redefines inclusivity by prioritizing performance rather than traditional notions of advantage.

Deep dives

Popularity and Panic in Women's Sports

The surge in popularity of women's sports has sparked a significant public debate regarding who should be allowed to compete. As female athletes gain cultural relevance and financial backing through brand deals, concerns over inclusivity in competitions have emerged. This heightened scrutiny has led to disproportionate attention on who qualifies as a woman in sports, particularly when considering transgender individuals. The transition from trivializing women’s sports to recognizing their competitive landscape has driven the urgency of these discussions.

Intro

2min

Exploring Women's Sports and Gender Constructs

10min

Transgender Athletes and the Debate on Fairness

7min

Fairness and Equity in Sports: A Complex Narrative

5min

Navigating Fairness and Inclusivity in Sports

25min

Engaging with Resources and Personal Reflections

3min

Almost all of the public conversations about sex testing and sports — or, more to the point, who should be allowed to participate in women’s sports — are pretty bad. In many if not most cases, they’re outright transphobic; even in the “best” cases, they’re still pretty ham-fisted. But Rose Eveleth is having a very different sort of public conversation about sex testing in their new podcast, Tested — one that looks to the way these tests affect the athletes subject to them, and how the concept of fairness in women’s sports has become so fraught. For today’s episode, Rose answers your questions about the history of women’s sports gender panic, why men aren’t subject to the same sex testing, and how the Paralympics imagines “fairness” in profoundly different ways. I absolutely loved this conversation. I think you will too.

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