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Man-Born Transexual to play in Womens Australian Open

Discussion in 'Other Sports' started by 3814, Feb 28, 2004.

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  1. 3814

    3814 Member

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    http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/golf/02/27/bc.sport.golf.transsexual/index.html

    SYDNEY, Feb 27 (Reuters) -- A transsexual golfer who will make history next week by playing in the women's Australian Open says she will not have an unfair advantage despite being born a man.

    Mianne Bagger, who started playing golf aged eight, had sex-change surgery in 1995 after a lifetime of feeling "something wasn't quite right."

    "This is my first professional golf tournament...with extra focus on me as well because of my circumstances, so I really don't know how I'm going to handle it," she told Reuters television in an interview on Thursday.

    "I'm just trying my best to make sure I can focus on my game.

    "I don't hit the ball as far as I used to and my game is no different to any of the other girls out there."

    The women's Australian Open will be held at Concord in Sydney from March 4 to 7. A Women's Golf Australia spokeswoman said they had no problem with Bagger playing.

    Bagger, 37, added: "Gender-reassignment is a long process. After surgery there's nothing left in our bodies that produces testosterone.

    "Now I have less testosterone than the average levels for women in society and [because of that] I also have a decrease in muscle-mass and a loss of overall strength."

    Although she played golf throughout her teenage years, achieving a men's handicap of four, the game took a backseat when she started the sex change process.

    "I played five rounds of golf over the...five years while I was going through my transition, hormones, surgery and getting used to my new identity," she previously told GolfWeb.

    She started playing social golf again in 1998 and swiftly chalked up amateur victories, winning the South Australian state championship in 1999 and again in 2001 and 2002.

    However, the Australian Open will be the only professional tournament she will be competing in.

    "There's no other tournament at this stage I can play in.

    "I'll just have to see what comes as a result of the Open -- whether people will at least start discussing the issue."

    Copyright 2004 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
     
    #1 3814, Feb 28, 2004
  2. Isabel

    Isabel Member

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    I'm surprised they're letting her. (using "her" for lack of anything better. :) ) She has grown up male with male hormones; that overall muscle strength would mean that, while she isn't gaining any more muscle mass, what she already had would be in better shape.

    We can do lots of things with surgery and hormone treatments; however, from a scientific point of view, I'm not going to completely buy "gender reassignment" until she has no Y chromosomes left. Her DNA still wants to make her a man, and they have to constantly fight that.

    I don't want to get this thread moved to D&D... but I'm just curious about why people want to do this, considering the drastic surgical procedures involved. Some may feel less masculine or more feminine than others, but think about the parts of yourself that have to be removed/ altered to accomplish the surgery. It seems self-destructive to do that instead of just working with what you already have... no doubt it's a long and painful process.

    (by the way, she says she has "no testosterone", though I doubt that. We all have plenty of testosterone - so do I. Fortunately with a good deal of estrogen to balance it out.)
     
    #2 Isabel, Feb 28, 2004
  3. Raven

    Raven Member

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    He probably looks more feminine than Serena Williams.....

    Raven
     
    #3 Raven, Feb 28, 2004
  4. Gutter Snipe

    Gutter Snipe Member

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    Maybe less muscular. I think Serena looks plenty feminine.
     
    #4 Gutter Snipe, Feb 28, 2004
  5. Manny Ramirez

    Manny Ramirez The Music Man

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    I think it was in the early '70s, but there was a transsexual named Rene Richards that won a couple of women's tennis tournaments and then word leaked out that Rene had been Richard (or something like that) and she got, I think, banned from playing women's tennis for awhile.

    But I agree with Isabel on what she said about the Y chromosome and DNA stuff.
     
    #5 Manny Ramirez, Feb 28, 2004
  6. RocketsPimp

    RocketsPimp Member

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    May I introduce Mianne Bagger.

    Did anyone else notice that "her" first name almost sounds like "man" when you say it?
     
    #6 RocketsPimp, Feb 28, 2004
  7. Raven

    Raven Member

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    Use google, and enter the words wicked weasel.

    It's a company that sells bikinis, with free pictures of models (beware nudity).

    Ok are you back? Now can you imagine Serena Williams wearing one of those string bikinis?

    Shudder

    Raven
     
    #7 Raven, Feb 28, 2004
  8. Tonaaayyyy

    Tonaaayyyy Member

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    ewwwwww
     
    #8 Tonaaayyyy, Feb 28, 2004
  9. MR. MEOWGI

    MR. MEOWGI Contributing Member

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    In women's tennis, I always root against the heterosexual.
     
    #9 MR. MEOWGI, Feb 28, 2004
  10. robbie380

    robbie380 ლ(▀̿Ĺ̯▀̿ ̿ლ)
    Supporting Member

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    well just so yall know if you dont have testosterone then you won't be masculine. your muscle mass will decrease and your fat content will increase

    there are people who are born genetically men, but their body isn't receptive to testosterone because it lacks the receptors for it. so what happens? they grow and become a woman. you can be genetically male but still be extremely feminine. it has very little to do about DNA...it has everything to do with hormones.
     
    #10 robbie380, Feb 28, 2004
  11. nyquil82

    nyquil82 Member

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    havent seen what she looks like, but $50 says she looks better than the real women golfers... except for michelle wie, she's going to be a hot one (refraining from statutory comments)
     
    #11 nyquil82, Feb 28, 2004
  12. bobrek

    bobrek Politics belong in the D & D

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    But then s(h)e wrote a book titled:

    "Tennis Without Balls"
     
    #12 bobrek, Feb 28, 2004
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