Open Play: The Case for Feminist Sport

The practice of segregating sports by sex is rooted in patriarchal values, not scientific fact, according to this forceful polemic from Bekker, a professor of health at the University of Bath, and philosopher Mumford (Absence and Nothing). Suggesting that performance gaps between men and women stem more from “cultural determinants” (women receive “less food, poorer nutrition and less physical activity” than men, according to some studies) than innate biological differences, the authors contend that the tradition of separating competitors by gender is rooted in societal notions of women’s inherent need for protection. History shows a pattern of women being cast aside when their abilities came too close to men’s, the authors note, pointing out that pitcher Jackie Mitchell had her professional baseball contract rescinded days after she struck out Babe Ruth in 1931. The authors call for a total rethinking of athletic competition through the centering of such values as compassion, inclusion, and collaboration, though aside from their primary goal of ending sex segregation, what such values might look like in practice is not entirely clear. Still, they construct an articulate and convincing case that the segregation of women’s sports functions less as a benefit to women than a means of propping up patriarchal systems. It’s a trenchant, provocative take on a hot-button issue. (Mar.)