This is sure happening a lot lately. Seems everything near, dear, cuddly, and familiar is somehow being tainted by other things that aren’t quite right.
Disney’s dead to us, beavers in children’s Saturday cartoons have mastectomy scars, plant-based Kraft macaroni and cheese, and men in tuck bathing suits win ladies’ swimming championships.
In some instances, women stand up to the influx of faux-females en masse, like the British ladies’ fishing team who walked out of the contest together. Some sports and organizations who had originally capitulated to the trans advocate pressure reversed course in time to prevent real damage.
Others, not so much.
It’s gotten to the point where even beloved community events have gotten swallowed up in the woke wave and are now drowning in the controversy and hurt feelings that follow organizers paddling out to ride it in.
Such is the case with something called “Parkrun,” free, weekly 2 and 5K events that got started, literally, as an organized run through a park for the 13 folks who first showed up at Bushy Park, Teddington, UK, in 2004. From those humble beginnings, the happy weekend jogs have spread globally, with thousands of volunteers, miles run, and… well-kept race records for those in a competitive frame of mind.
They had race winners, and all the times in your classic men’s, ladies, age, etc categories.
Until the woke age of self-identification with masquerading men tucking their naughty bits up to wear girls’ running shorts so that they could finally be winners at something, even a technically non-competitive run in the park. Bragging rights are like a gold cup.
It was all fun and games until the biological women noticed how many recent record holders weren’t born women at all.
…And every British ‘long course’ swimming record set by an elite female swimmer has been beaten by a teenage boy. In addition, at least three female records set at 5k community Parkrun events are held by biological males.
Of course, the row that ensued with women demanding that faux-females be removed from the female category was another assault on trans “rights” by “right-wing” extremists.
Strong piece by @jonathanliew asking: why have rightwingers made even parkrun a battleground for trans people?https://t.co/ENyLx9BXZB
— Helen Pidd (@helenpidd) February 14, 2024
Women should be thrilled they’re allowed to trot in the park, says the above columnist. If it’s non-competitive fun, he asks, what so they have to complain about?
J.K. Rowling called the female-hating scribbler out.
JK Rowling has branded the Guardian’s chief sports writer a “progressive misogynist” with “disdain for women’s sport” after he dismissed concerns that transgender women could compete in Parkrun’s female category.
Jonathan Liew, who has written for the newspaper since 2019, labelled concerns raised by womens’ groups a “sinister campaign” which had been amplified by “useful idiots in the media”.
He argued that because Parkrun was a non-competitive running event without prizes, it didn’t matter that categories were not sex-segregated, writing: “You can do Parkrun on a mobility scooter if you want. You can do it with a pram.”
In a response posted on Twitter, Ms Rowling cited a previous article written by Liew in which he said it would be “inspiring” to see transgender athletes dominate womens’ sports, with the caption: “Your previous remarks leave no room for mystery about your own special interest in this subject.
“Like many ‘progressive’ misogynists, you seem delighted to have found an acceptable outlet for your disdain for women’s and girls’ sport. We see you, Jonathan.”
Trans phoneys and their ardent supporters are never in the least bit concerned with the rights of biological women being trampled. They muscle into a place they don’t belong to dominate a sport they could not as a man. Parkrun 1st place and record numbers held by trans continued to grow, bearing witness to the disparity in strength and quickness between the actual sexes of the participants.
Helen probably didn’t know this because it was omitted from Jonathan’s piece. That’s why that piece wasn’t ‘strong’, but staggeringly dishonest, not least in that Jonathan is an award-winning sports writer. Helen is a genuinely respected journalist. I hope she will reconsider.
— Simon Edge (@simonjedge) February 15, 2024
So, the wanna-be women are real losers in essence.
‘The narcissism, the selfish, spoiled, divine right to cheat other humans just so they can call themselves a winner’@BenLeo444 says ‘biological men are cheating women’s sport’ after it’s revealed trans-women hold some of the fastest records in Parkrun’s history. pic.twitter.com/7qZqrhcuai
— GB News (@GBNEWS) February 10, 2024
The non-competitive but still pretty thrilling fun of seeing your name on the board as the “oldest but fastest lady of the week” could be stripped from you by a 50-year-old guy in a set of worn Adidas.
COOL YOUR JETS, SISTER
In answer to the howls of outrage, Parkrun did the most cowardly thing they possibly could, and that isn’t doubling down on allowing men-in-tights to remain in the ladies’ column.
They got rid of all the records.
POOF
That’ll show those transphobes. Tough.
Parkrun has removed all gender, course and age records from its website amid a row over trans women athletes holding the fastest times in female categories.
The decision has incensed former British Olympians while some participants have pulled their donations saying they refuse to bankroll an organisation that ‘hides its stats’ rather than ‘correct its gender policy’.
Former British swimmer Sharron Davies blasted Parkrun for being ‘cowardly’ while former marathon star Mara Yamauchi accused the organisation of prioritising men over women and vowed to continue to speak up if males still compete in female categories.
…Historic data outlining the identity of the fastest male and female athlete to complete each 5km course has already been hidden from view for participants.
Bosses have emailed local organisers warning them that reams of data outlining course records, the most first-place finishes, and age grade records will no longer be published.
Well, no records, no…well…what’s the point, then?
Argle-bargle inclusive.
…A Parkrun spokeswoman said the changes were part of long-term strategy on inclusivity.
She said: ‘We try hard to make sure the information we share is consistent with our values, and that, in all that we do, we continue to find ways to remove barriers to registration and participation.
And the woman-hate is large in the trans community.
So many ugly, frustrated, misogynist men, I don’t care what color dresses they’re wearing.
To admit that men who say they’re women remain men is to admit there are no magic Wrong Body children, and they can’t do that.
— Billy Bragg (@Serena_Partrick) February 15, 2024
Trans can be lovely and stable members of society we are told. I would think particularly the athletes. After all, running helps you learn to deal maturely with the little setbacks in life…
…Last year a report from Policy Exchange found that at least three Parkrun female records were held by transgender women, including Lauren Jeska.
Jeska has held both Aberystwyth’s ages 35-39 record and the outright female record since 2012, with a time of 17 minutes 38 seconds.
In 2017, Jeska was jailed for 18 years for attempting to kill a UK Athletics official in a knife attack arising from a row over the athlete’s eligibility to compete as female.
YOICKS
I mean, these are the people Parkrun is hiding records to protect.
Maybe they’re hiding records to protect themselves.
Whatever their rationale, the fun is out of the run.