Welcome to the weekly Fairer Disputations round-up: your one-stop shop for the best in sex-realist feminism. This week: Sarah Barker on the flawed study that has been used as a foundation for including biological men in women’s sports, Marilyn Simon on why being a tomboy can be good, and Darby Saxbe on free range parenting. Plus: surrogacy’s harms, extreme anti-aging, having more kids, important work on men in women’s prisons—and more!
First, Sarah Barker tells the story of the flawed, self-serving “scientific study” that the International Olympic Committee used to justify biological men in women’s sports. This piece is long, but it’s a fascinating read:
Next, Marilyn Simon writes in defense of tomboys—and their recognition that “manly” characteristics can be something to love and pursue as a girl.
Finally, Darby Saxbe writes of the personal and social struggle to give our children the space they need to grow and learn independently
More Great Reads:
- Surrogacy is Booming. But New Research Suggests These Pregnancies Could be Higher Risk for Women and Babies, Hannah Dahlen and Karleen Gribble, The Conversation
- The Case for Having Lots of Kids, Emma Green, The New Yorker (Pair with Cultural Shifts Alone Won’t Persuade People to Have Kids, Stephanie Murray, The Atlantic)
- The Case for a Baby Bonus for Parents, Leah Libresco Sargeant, Deseret News
- The Logical Extreme of Anti-aging, Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic
- Should You Really Admit to Regretting Having Kids?, Victoria Smith, The Critic
Fairer Disputations Recommends:
The Independent Women’s Forum’s “Cruel & Unusual Punishment” project has been doing excellent work highlighting the injustice of placing men who identify as women in women’s prisons alongside biological women. Journalist Kelsey Bolar testified on this issue yesterday before the House Committee on the Judiciary, Republicans. Her testimony is worth reading in full. The tragic stories she shares show the importance of women’s spaces, especially for the vulnerable.
