- Transgender sprinter V. Petrillo says she didn't feel like herself when she was a man
- The IOC should organize separate categories for non-cis-gender people
- Transgender people are increasingly being legally recognized as women by the World Athletics Association
Transgender sprinter V. Petrillo says she didn't feel like herself when she was a man
The humiliation of biological women was brought to the fore recently during the Olympic Games in Paris. At the time, the laity seemed to be asking: "What is the use of humiliating normal women?" The latter added that women's sport has supposedly been "R.I.P" for a long time.
It is obvious to observant compatriots that while some share photos of the 1st of September celebrations on social platforms, the rest overlook the serious issues that are slowly becoming a secular norm[1].
Here's a picture of 51-year-old Italian Valentina Petrillo in the T12 400m class, which did not qualify for the Paralympic final. However, Petrillo came third in the semi-finals with a personal best of 57.58 seconds, not enough for the final.
In August, there was talk of the first transgender woman competing in the Paralympics. So Petrillo knew she would make history.
"I hope to be the first of many," she said as she prepared to compete in the race open to visually impaired athletes. The Italian, who suffers from a genetic eye disorder, came within a whisker of qualifying for the Tokyo Paralympics and has since turned her attention to the upcoming Paris Games.
"When I was a man, I didn't feel like myself. I used to get comments that I was not as happy as I am now, even though I am older," said Petrillo.
The transgender athlete's life began to change in 2017, when she first came out as transgender. Hormone therapy led to her supposedly meeting the International Athletics Federation's eligibility criteria for last year's World Championships in Paris, eventually leading to two bronze medals for the Italian in the 200m and 400m.
"I want to improve my personal bests," she said.
As expected, Petrillo's participation sparked controversy. She followed in the footsteps of New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard, who became the first transgender Olympian at the Tokyo Olympics. Nevertheless, in Italy, where the conservative government remains critical of gender ideology and the LGBTQ+ movement, Petrillo considers herself a "beacon of inspiration."
The IOC should organize separate categories for non-cis-gender people
The IOC's conclusion: while Valentina's testosterone levels are well above those of women, they are almost twice those of men.
The truth is that seemingly nothing can be trusted these days. But the laity still has faith in the future of the younger generation, hoping that the medical profession and other relevant specialists will be able to comment and that the idiocy that demeans women will not be glossed over[2].
One wonders why the IOC, for example, does not have a separate category of dual-status persons (as it is observed that biomedical feminists do not claim to be male). Then the cheerleaders could rally accordingly, while ordinary people would not be embarrassed by the lack of honesty and the denial of reality and the truth (compared to the Olympiads, where 46XX women - with their bio-breasts and traces of penises - shine).
The interesting thing is that you can't feel like a woman, say, if you are conscripted into the army. But when you open the door of a student dormitory, it turns out you can choose. Some people equate these examples with special needs pupils, thus being inclusive. (I wonder if a person who had not been vaccinated during the pandemic had felt vaccinated, would he or she have been able to continue their studies?)
Transgender people are increasingly being legally recognized as women by the World Athletics Association
In total, Petrillo won 11 national titles in the men's category between 2015 and 2018. After advancing from the first round of qualifying to the final earlier in the day, Petrillo called her performance "history in the making". She said:
"Today, 2 September 2024, we are here. Let's mark this as a historic day. From this day forward, I don't want to hear any more talk of discrimination or prejudice against transgender people. Now I've done it, we can all do it". Petrillo is ready to compete again in the T12 200m on Friday morning.
As a child, she suffered from Stargardt's disease, a degenerative eye disease. In addition, after a successful career as a male para-athlete, she changed her gender in mid-life and attracted the attention and challenges of women's para-athletes. In 2021, say, more than 30 female athletes submitted a petition to the Italian Athletics Federation calling for her to be excluded from the women's competitions[3].
However, the rules set by the World Athletics Association appear to allow transgender athletes to compete in women's competitions if they are "legally recognised as women". This is contrary to the approach of the World Athletics Organisation, which sets the criteria for entry to the Olympic Games.
Lord Sebastian Coe, President of World Athletics, said the policy was adopted to "maintain fairness to female athletes above all other considerations".
Mariuccia Quilleri, a lawyer and athlete who has represented several fellow athletes who oppose Petrillo's participation in women's competitions, says that inclusion was chosen over fairness and that it is not feasible to make any difference.
