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Re: Transgenderism and the CFC
Hi Brad, fair enough question and I hope my previous post is not taken as being dismissive of the issue, which is becoming increasingly more prominent in a number of areas, including sports as mentioned in earlier posts. I think it is a really good idea to try to get out ahead of the issue for the benefit of tournament directors for whom this may become an issue requiring resolution, potentially on really short notice.
I am new to the CFC and have not read its underlying documents and accordingly do not have an opinion on whether or not it would be appropriate for the CFC to mandate a position on the issue for tournaments that involve the CFC in some fashion (whether from an advertising function or because the tournament will involve the CFC for rating purposes), or whether this is something that falls solely in the discretion of individual tournament directors (or perhaps provincial chess associations). But I certainly think it is a helpful discussion to have.
I participated only very recently in my first chess tournament (in which I fulfilled the role of punching bag) and accordingly am almost certainly the least qualified to provide comments on running of a tournament. However if I were a tournament director, I would want to consider two aspects: whether there are legal obligations directing or prohibiting particular conduct, and absent a clear legal direction, what I consider the appropriate decision to make generally.
The first issue, whether there is existing legal direction, would likely involve both a consideration of whether particular legislation even applies to a chess tournament (and hence my earlier comment about Bill C-16; more could be said about the scope of application of provincial human rights legislation); and secondly, assuming there is provincial human rights legislation or other legal instruments which apply, whether distinctions or decisions on the basis of gender identity rather than sex would in the circumstances constitute an adverse discriminatory practice. Distinctions even on the basis of protected grounds such as age, sex, etc. are allowed provided the distinction is not adversely discriminatory.
The second issue (independent of legal considerations, what a director should conclude to be the appropriate manner to proceed) is less clearly defined. I assume that an issue chess tournament directors may face from time to time are challenges by participants or parents of young participants to various tournament decisions that may be made. I do not know whether a concern that would be advanced would be that a particular applicant to a tournament is falsely claiming a gender identity simply to get into a perceived "easier" section - I would think that this is a concern that might be advanced rightly or wrongly more often in sports with a more physical component than chess. Public relations (media) concerns may also want to be considered.
All of this is premised on different (currently sex-defined) categories being maintained for some tournaments. In my circumstances, it does not make a difference: even if a section I may play within in the future is comprised only of house cats, I am pretty sure I would still just get run over.
Originally posted by Brad Thomson
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I am new to the CFC and have not read its underlying documents and accordingly do not have an opinion on whether or not it would be appropriate for the CFC to mandate a position on the issue for tournaments that involve the CFC in some fashion (whether from an advertising function or because the tournament will involve the CFC for rating purposes), or whether this is something that falls solely in the discretion of individual tournament directors (or perhaps provincial chess associations). But I certainly think it is a helpful discussion to have.
I participated only very recently in my first chess tournament (in which I fulfilled the role of punching bag) and accordingly am almost certainly the least qualified to provide comments on running of a tournament. However if I were a tournament director, I would want to consider two aspects: whether there are legal obligations directing or prohibiting particular conduct, and absent a clear legal direction, what I consider the appropriate decision to make generally.
The first issue, whether there is existing legal direction, would likely involve both a consideration of whether particular legislation even applies to a chess tournament (and hence my earlier comment about Bill C-16; more could be said about the scope of application of provincial human rights legislation); and secondly, assuming there is provincial human rights legislation or other legal instruments which apply, whether distinctions or decisions on the basis of gender identity rather than sex would in the circumstances constitute an adverse discriminatory practice. Distinctions even on the basis of protected grounds such as age, sex, etc. are allowed provided the distinction is not adversely discriminatory.
The second issue (independent of legal considerations, what a director should conclude to be the appropriate manner to proceed) is less clearly defined. I assume that an issue chess tournament directors may face from time to time are challenges by participants or parents of young participants to various tournament decisions that may be made. I do not know whether a concern that would be advanced would be that a particular applicant to a tournament is falsely claiming a gender identity simply to get into a perceived "easier" section - I would think that this is a concern that might be advanced rightly or wrongly more often in sports with a more physical component than chess. Public relations (media) concerns may also want to be considered.
All of this is premised on different (currently sex-defined) categories being maintained for some tournaments. In my circumstances, it does not make a difference: even if a section I may play within in the future is comprised only of house cats, I am pretty sure I would still just get run over.
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