Recently, Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant featured an article about preventing trans women from entering female chess tournaments. The article featured this (translated) quote: “The purpose [LO: of new game rules] is to keep [the game] as inclusive and honest for everyone.” Note: markings by LO.
The word “and” bothered me. In my view, the words inclusive and honest are mutually exclusive: either a game is inclusive (eg, children, disabled, men, women), or a game is fair a.k.a. honest. To a large extent, a mind sport – like checkers and/or chess – should be able to include nearly everyone.
The Volkskrant article mentioned this as an example of “trans panic“. In my view, it could also be viewed as an example of the failure of the concept of inclusivity. In my view, only a Constitution includes a relevant kind of inclusivity (eg, all men are created equal from US Declaration of Independence).
Inclusivity is largely a hypothetical concept as it ignores all kinds of (natural) differences. Example: The female problem: how male bias in medical trials ruined women’s health (Guardian-2019), or Women are overmedicated because drug dosage trials are done on men, study finds (eg, uChicago-2020).
As usual nowadays, inclusivity is all about ideology and has nothing to do with pragmatism. Obviously, the inclusivity concept creates nasty dilemmas: should convicted trans women be jailed with women – or men? Example: Women in prison trapped with male sex offenders.
The “trans panic” is our common overreacting. It’s also an example of Sir Isaac Newton’s Third Law of Motion: for every action (force) in nature there is an equal and opposite reaction (source). Ultimately, inclusivity – including its inevitable reversal – might even leave minority groups worse off.
In my view, a (fair) level playing field is much more important and relevant to society than inclusivity. Why bother being included if you don’t stand a chance (eg, of winning). I suppose this was – and still is – the reason for separating female and male sports tournaments (eg, running).
The Mahatma Gandhi quote below is a striking example of the essence in this debate.
“Our ability to reach unity in diversity will be the beauty and the test of our civilisation.”
A quote (ie, #15) by Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948), an “an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist and political ethicist”
All Inclusive (2023) by Holza
artist, lyrics, video, no Wikipedia
[Reprise]
Es gibt nur di und mi
Des is für mi Paradies
Und unser Glick is for free
All-Inclusive in da Bodewonn
Note: all markings (bold, italic, underlining) by LO unless in quotes or stated otherwise.
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