Hi Walter,
I loved you're article but I feel the need to point out you didn't really address Collin's points. Let me first state that I'm a cis, straight, white male (hit the jackpot in terms of privilege!) so , beyond conscious empathy, I can't begin to imagine what many trans people have to deal with.
That being said, I'm also aware of (ironically) rampant binary thinking in relation to trans issues. Given what trans people have to endure (abuse, attendant mental health issues, the dystopian lens of technology) this kind of tribalism is totally forgivable. However, one can still be an ally while having a nuanced discussion about how we can all thrive in this (unfortunately) late capitalist society.
For example, while I don't particularly care for competitive sports, Collin raised some valid points in an evenhanded way. Let's break this down.
Aside from a relatively small number of high achievers, athletics and sports don't pay particularly well. Many cis women rely on their athletic prowess to succeed and pay the bills.
As Collin pointed out, given obvious biological factors, trans women who compete will have an advantage over cis women.
Your response was related to prioritizing focus, citing that trans people are often targeted for violence and abuse. The latter is certainly true, however, short of accusing you of a strawman, allowing trans women to compete in women's sports isn't, from a logical standpoint, high on the list in saving trans people's lives. In my opinion, there are many more valid and viable methods to help trans people—education, creating a safer, more caring society, articles like yours, etc.
The issue is, there are myriad ways to flourish and succeed in life, and competing in sports on a professional level shouldn't be considered the only path. I myself have suffered from debilitating psychosis and had to dramatically change my life goals. If you are trans, being unable to compete in professional women's sports isn't tantamount to "violence and murder".
The problem is the trade off. If you allow trans women to compete in all cis women sports the latter will suffer. If you don't the former will suffer.
It is certainly an ethical dillemma. Is a workaround not possible? I certainly don't have the solution. Checking people's testosterone levels, etc. may seem invasive to some, but we shouldn't shy from debating these issues, even when they're highly sensitive. The crux of the rebuttal is this: Of course, saving lives is always top priority, however we don't need to resort to tunnel vision at the expense of issues that aren't necessarily directly related to our chief concern.
